Over the past decade or so, the New England Patriots' draft history has been riddled with flops. For every top player brought in, like Christian Gonzalez, Christian Barmore, Keion White, and Drake Maye, their draft boards were littered with failures.
While no draft is ever flawless, if you can't at least hit on most of your top picks, you're in the wrong business. The new boss is Mike Vrabel, who hopefully won't be shackled by the personnel team that wrecked the 2024 off-season. Except for drafting Drake Maye and, to a lesser extent, signing free agents Austin Hooper and Antonio Gibson, the entire offseason was a disaster.
Vrabel will begin his reconstruction in a few days. His first free-agent signing(s) will indicate whether things have changed or Patriot Nation will get more of the same. The advice here to Vrabel is to be bold, innovative, and gutsy in both free agency and the draft. In this mock draft, he does just that.
Round 1, pick No. 7: the Patriots select RB Ashton Jeanty of Boise State
Above all, the Patriots need quality players, and the general advice is to trade up, not down. Yet, in this case, with Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter both off the board, they engineer a masterful slight trade down of only three picks and pick up another second-round pick. That's value. They send the Jets the fourth overall pick and get picks no. 7, 42, and 109 in return.
With the seventh pick, they shocked the NFL and selected the best running back in the draft, Ashton Jeanty of Boise State. This out-of-nowhere trade and pick are dazzling. Mike Vrabel gets a super offensive playmaker for Drake Maye, and picks up another second-rounder in the process.
Jeanty will be New England's best running back since Corey Dillon. His stats for 2024 are off the charts. He gained 2601 yards for a 7-yard average with 29 touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 138 yards and another TD to put the frosting on the cake.
The Jeanty pick is a surprise and could allow the Patriots to trade Rhamondre Stevenson and his big salary to a team needing a solid running back, for maybe an edge or an additional pick. It's an outside-the-box, brilliant first move by Mike Vrabel.
Pro Football Focus ranks Jeanty as the second-best player in the draft behind only Travis Hunter. Here's what they say about the 5'8 1/2", 211-pound wrecking ball,
"Jeanty turned in an all-time great season and reset the PFF rushing grade record at 96.6. He also set the PFF College record in yards after contact and missed tackles forced by wide margins while challenging Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record. We may not see another performance like Jeanty had this year for a long time."
Round 2, pick No. 38 the Patriots select OT Aireontae Ersery from Minnesota
Though Mike Vrabel was expected to have fortified the left tackle position in free agency, that has yet to happen, which forces him to use a high pick on their next starter. That's what they do with the first pick in the second round, the Pats' own No. 38. He further fortifies the position by drafting massive Minnesota left tackle Aireontae Ersery.
Vrabel is acutely aware that an ill-advised decision to go into the 2024 season with no left tackles wrecked the Patriots' season before it began. In this draft, he ensures that won't happen again. The huge, 6'6", 330-pound Ersery is a proper left tackle who, if necessary, can start immediately and provides a massive upgrade at the position.
Here's what nfldraftbuzz.com has to say about the big Golden Gophers' left tackle,
"In a league that increasingly values mammoth tackles who can hold up in pass protection while still moving bodies in the run game, Ersery profiles as an intriguing Day 2 prospect with starter upside. His combination of size, power, and steady technical improvement suggests a player whose best football may still be ahead of him.
"The learning curve won't be gentle - he'll need to clean up his hand timing and improve his ability to redirect against counter moves. But his outstanding length, natural power, and proven durability make him an attractive option for teams running play-action heavy schemes that can maximize his strengths while his pass protection develops."
Round 2, pick No. 45 the Patriots select OT Josh Conerly Jr from Oregon
With pick No. 45 acquired in the Jets' trade, Vrabel doubles down on the tackle position and selects a slightly undersized left tackle, Josh Conerly Jr., from Oregon. The 6'5", 311-pound Conerly provides further depth at both tackle positions.
Conerly can also be used inside to fortify the Patriots' dreadful guard situation. No matter where he's deployed, he'll be an upgrade over the 2024 incumbents. Tackles who can play on an island can easily transition to guard. Vrabel is aware of that and is loading up on a position and unit that needs a total reconstruction from top to bottom.
Conerly ranks as Pro Football Focus' fifth-rated tackle in the draft. Here's their take on the big Oregon Ducks' left tackle,
"Conerly ranks fifth in pressure rate on this list, but that is a bit deceiving; his 83.6 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks only eighth among the top 10. That's because he had more plays (12) than anyone else in the top 10 where he was beaten but the defender did not register a pressure due to the quarterback getting rid of the ball.
"His 87.3 PFF pass-blocking grade on five- and seven-step concepts comes in at the 85th percentile for offensive tackles."
Round 3, pick No. 69 the Patriots select WR Jaylin Noel from Iowa State
Switching to a skill position, with the Pats' own third-round pick, No. 69, Vrabel selects Iowa State's dynamic pass-catcher, Jaylin Noel. Drake Maye needed protection, and Vrabel has delivered it big-time by drafting two top left tackles early.
Yet, the 2nd-year quarterback phenom also needs players whom he can find in open spaces to churn up big yardage downfield. With Jeanty on board to do that on the ground, Vrabel gives Maye an aerial weapon to get open and rack up big yardage through the air in Noel. He has the speed you look for, having run a blistering 4.39, forty-yard dash at the combine.
In 2024, the 5'10", 194-pound Noel caught 80 passes for 1194 yards and eight touchdowns. He adds a top target for Maye and his reconstituted offense. sports.yahoo.com has these comments about the Cyclones receiver,
"Noel can quickly accelerate to top speed and is dangerous as an intermediate and downfield option because of his speed and excellent ball skills. Noel isn’t just a burner, though. His balance and body control show up as a route runner, where he consistently does a nice job of throttling his speeds and sinking on his routes to keep coverage defenders uneasy on breaking routes."
Round 3, pick No. 77 the Patriots select OT Emery Jones from LSU
With the third-round pick acquired from Atlanta in the Matt Judon trade, Vrabel continues to stockpile big offensive linemen. This time, it's Emery Jones from LSU. Playing on the right side, opposite the more heralded Will Campbell, Jones still carved out a solid path for himself to the NFL. Vrabel can't pass on the value at pick number 77.
bleacherreport.com comments on the 6'5", 315-pound Tigers' tackle,
"Jones brings good square power and length to deliver jolt on angle-drive blocks, generate displacement and keep defenders at his fingertips to create alleys off of his backside while looking to strain and finish once latched...
"In pass protection Jones shows flashes of utilizing independent hands with a flat-back posture to protect his outside hand against swipes/chops and pinch off inside counters while bringing a finisher's mentality to deliver body blows, but he consistently has to overcome being late to the spot against high-side rushes, crossing over and losing his balance at the top of the QB's drop. He also has a bad habit of biting on stutters and hesitations that result in soft edges and quick wins for the rusher."
Jones' profile points to a likely move to guard. There's no issue since the Patriots' guard play was terrible in 2024. Adding Jones will allow the Pats to trade or release an underperforming guard or two if they can get a decent return.
If shifted inside, some of Jones's deficiencies will be mitigated. Additionally, in a pinch, he can slot in at right tackle when (not if) injuries take their toll on the starters. You can't have too many solid NFL offensive linemen, especially tackles, which the Patriots learned to their chagrin in 2024.
Summing up the draft to this point, Mike Vrabel has secured the best running back in the draft, Ashton Jeanty. This will be a shocking development to the NFL generally, but especially to AFC East teams, who'll dread having to contend with both Jeanty and Drake Maye in the future. Good luck.
He also added three of the best offensive tackles in the draft. These include two who can slot in at left tackle, the team's weakest position, and one who can step in and start at guard. They also drafted an explosive wide receiver. Vrabel's draft has added five important players to an awful offense. He's given quarterback Drake Maye the tools and the protection to shine.
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