The Patriots' offseason is expected to be filled with massive roster changes, especially with Mike Vrabel in as the new head coach. Besides the typical player departures, their hefty cap space and desirable draft positioning will inevitably attract some quality talent, hoping to dramatically improve their chances of being a competitive team this fall.
How the Patriots approach free agency next week will determine a lot. There are plenty of roster holes that can be filled by free agents, putting the Patriots in a position to move differently come the draft.
That was the expectation last year with Jerod Mayo, only for free agency to be a near failure, forcing the team to draft according to need instead of opting for the best player available. It seemed like a reasonable idea at the time, given how free agency was a total flop, but it didn't work out well enough in the long run to have been worth it.
Fortunately, the new regime is aware of the issues from last year's draft and is reportedly set on navigating those three days much differently this time around.
The Patriots are making the right changes to how they will navigate the NFL Draft this year
Holding the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, the Patriots have a good opportunity to select one of the best non-quarterback prospects of the entire class. Because the three teams ahead of them could easily take a quarterback, that could ultimately lead to snagging the best overall player of the class in a few positions, which is exactly what this team needs right now.
That is reportedly the direction they're hoping to take, as reported by MassLive's Mark Daniels. The Patriots are planning to oppose drafting for need and instead go for the best player available, a stark difference from how they have typically gone about the process in the past.
“According to a league source, after the (2024) first round, the Patriots opted to draft for need. That’s why they opted for two receivers and two offensive linemen in the next three rounds — Ja’Lynn Polk, Caedan Wallace, Layden Robinson, and Javon Baker. Out of that group, Robinson had the biggest impact.
This time around, however, the Patriots want to position themselves to draft the best player available, according to a source.”
Most teams around the league approach the draft this way, and in many instances, they owe their success to those players they selected. The Patriots haven't always been able to pick that way, mainly because they were in the bottom half of the first round or Bill Belichick's fondness for trading out.
However, with a new head honcho and a philosophical difference with how to draft, there will be a noticeable change this year that Patriots fans should be excited about.
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