7-Round Mock Draft: New England Patriots' Sad Sunday Brings No-Brainer at No. 2?
No points. No doubt?
The New England Patriots' latest offensive slog ... co-starring a reeling Los Angeles Chargers group all too eager to match such ineptitude ... is just another not-so-graceful reminder that only five weeks linger until the painful excursion known as the 2023 season is over. And, also, that they badly need a playmaking quarterback.
They will be able to cross another game off their list rather early this time around, as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video).
Engaged in yet another morbid week, the prospect of prospects is downright jovial to New Englanders. With that in mind, Patriots Country presents its own seven-round mock draft to open December ...
(This mock draft was crafted on Pro Football Network; make your own here.)
Drake Maye could well be the Patriots' long-sought answer to its franchise quarterback question
Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports
QB Drake Maye, North Carolina (1st Round, 2nd Overall)
There should be a legitimate debate over whether the Patriots should use their top pick, presumably their highest in years, on either a quarterback or an aerial playmaker. Sunday, however, more or less put the quarterback spot at the forefront, at least for the time being. New England finally granted Bailey Zappe the most basic football necessity ... a 0-0 ballgame ... but he failed to take any sort of advantage. That turns the affair over to Maye, who likely stands as the silver medal passing prospect after championship week with USC's Caleb Williams projected to go to Chicago at No. 1.
WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia (2nd Round, 34th Overall)
Every good quarterback, of course, needs someone to throw to. The Patriots didn't have to worry about using priority assets on catchers during the Tom Brady era, but you're reading this site, so you know that period in Patriots history is long over. McConkey is perhaps slightly undersized, but he's been the Bulldogs' leanest, speediest target and would mesh well with the similarly-built Demario Douglas. The pair can each learn under the injured Kendrick Bourne ... if he's retained, of course.
RB Raheim Sanders, Arkansas (3rd Round, 66th Overall)
Sanders is a well-built (243 lbs.) running back ... sound familiar? Rare offensive traction comes from the bruising tactics of Rhamondre Stevenson, as evidenced from the complete lack of progress once he was forced to leave the game with an injury. Stevenson, working through his third season, has one more year left on his contract before the Patriots are forced to have an awkward conversation in this era of high-spirited debates about the running back spot. Bringing in a relative Stevenson clone could help either ease the transition away from the 2021 pick or form a solid, pulverizing one-two punch in the backfield.
CB Max Melton, Rutgers (4th Round, 98th Overall)
Will Bill Belichick be around to keep an eye on his apparent Piscataway quota? Only time will tell, but Belichick or no Belichick, Melton could be a solid day three discovery as it stands. The Patriots will be looking to restock its secondary depth, even as Christian Gonzalez presumably leads the way at cornerback for the foreseeable future (barring further medical drama). Melton earned 22 pass breakups and eight interceptions in four years as a Scarlet Knight and his ballhawk tendencies would be welcome in Foxborough.
TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State (5th Round, 130th Overall)
Bell, a fourth-year transfer from South Carolina, might get lost among the undefeated Seminoles' high-profile weaponry. His blocking leaves a little something to be desired but the Patriots obviously need playmakers, and that need could increase threefold if they lose both Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry in the upcoming free agency frenzy. Bell's brief time in Tallahassee has allowed him to hone his skills as a route-runner, particularly in the middle of the field.
DL Tyler Baron, Tennessee (6th Round, 162nd Overall)
Baron, a potential choice to replenish the Patriots' edge depth after losing Matthew Judon, has had issues creating separation in the violent SEC but he has the agility, physique, and frame (260 lbs.) to make a difference in a team's pass rush. The Volunteer has also made a name for himself as an underrated pass deflector, using his 6-5 height to his advantage while picking up 10.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks during the regular season.
G Joshua Gray, Oregon State (6th Round, 170th Overall)
The free agency front is the better arena to address the offensive line, whose current status (complete with position Adrian Klemm out due to a medical issue) would perhaps ensure that no quarterback ... be it Zappe, Mac Jones, Malik Cunningham, or even Brady himself ... would easily succeed. But there are plenty of prospects in the latter stages worth using a project pick upon. Gray, who earned All-Pac-12 second team honors as a sophomore and later earned Corvallis captaincy honors, also knows how to use his relatively lithe 305-lb. frame to his advantage despite subpar footwork.
S Lathan Ransom, Ohio State (7th Round, 199th Overall)
Another potential secondary project, Ransom has been lauded for his physicality despite giving up a little too much leeway downfield. With Kyle Dugger and Jalen Mills due to hit free agency, Ransom could be an intriguing late arrival, especially considering he missed almost all of the final month of the regular season due to a left leg injury.
