At the end of the 2024 NFL season, the New England Patriots stood at 3-13 with a chance to grab the No. 1 overall draft pick. All they had to do was lose.
But the Patriots apparently underestimated quarterback Joe Milton III, who had spent the season on the practice squad only to get most of the reps in Week 18, against the Buffalo Bills. To the chagrin of Patriots fans, Milton turned in a spectacular performance, leading the Patriots to their fourth win â and the No. 4 draft pick rather than the first pick overall.
Milton has since been traded to the Dallas Cowboys. And the Patriots are left wondering what to do with their draft pick when they are fourth on the clock on Thursday, April 25.
When the Patriots had the No. 3 pick in 2024, the decision was a lot easier. New England needed a quarterback after their first round pick in 2021, Alabama’s Mac Jones, proved to be a bust. The Patriots decision makers had their sites set on North Carolina signal-caller Drake Maye, and that is who they got.
Patriots Decision at No. 4 Remains a Puzzle
This year, the Patriots’ decision is not quite so clear. The team has multiple needs ranging from offensive line â left tackle specifically â to wide receiver to upgrading the dismal pass rush. So what do they do?
According to a new mock draft released Thursday by CBS Sports, the Patriots’ answer is this: nothing. In fact, they trade the No. 4 overall pick to their most despised AFC East divisional rival, the New York Jets.
In the CBS Sports mock draft, the Jets send their first round pick, No. 7 overall, plus a future second rounder to the Patriots â who in real life should be able to command a bigger haul for such a high pick. But in the CBS Sports scenario, “the price to move up, even with a divisional rival, is small this year relative to others.”
The Jets, according to the mock draft, use that coveted high pick to “create a strength along the defensive front” by selecting Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham, to pair with six-year Jets veteran and three-time Pro Bowl pick Quinnen Williams.
Patriots Use Jets Pick to Take Georgia Pass Rusher
The Patriots, dropping down to the No. 7 slot, grab Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker, partly because the left tackle they had their eyes on, LSU’s Will Campbell, has already come off the board, going to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5. By sliding to the seventh pick, the Patriots also miss out on another potential draft target, Boise State running back Austin Jeanty â the Heisman Trophy runner-up to two-way sensation Travis Hunter.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports lists Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy â a former Patriot himself â as the closest NFL comparison for Walker, “the jack-of-all trades up front. Right after making some plays between the tackles as an off-ball linebacker, Walker will pop out to the edge and give an offensive tackle a real challenge on a passing down,” the CBS Sports scribe wrote. “He’s not quite as big as Van Noy but plays much larger than his size, particularly when rushing from the outside when attempting to pressure the quarterback.”
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