Raised 30 miles north of Boston, I used to tell people that draft night was the worst night of the year for New England Patriots fans. This was of course before the team was losing 13 games a season. The draft used to seemingly be the only short coming in the Patriots’ game.
Now flooded with promising updates and new personnel, the newest stat revealed by insider Mike Reiss serves as an unwelcomed reminder that the Patriots are not in the clear yet.
“When the Patriots ultimately make their final roster decisions to get to 53 players, there’s a growing possibility that quarterback Drake Maye will be the lone selection remaining from the 2024 draft,” Reiss wrote Sunday.
There is not much you can say to substantialize how bad that is. That represents an almost maliciously incompetent approach to last year’s draft from Eliot Wolf and company.
Players like Layden Robinson and Javon Baker, who were viewed as developmental prospects with very little day one upside, were selected with high leverage fourth round picks.
You can’t pass too much judgement on flyers taken in the last 50 or so picks, but drafting Joe Milton 190 spots after Drake Maye was a head turner even then. And safety turned tight end Jaheim Bell never really had a path to success at Patriots Place either.
The Pats are hoping the sins of the father don’t curve what should be an upward projecting team.
“If the Patriots are going to rebuild their roster, they’re going to need to draft a lot better. But if Maye turns out to be their franchise quarterback for years to come, the 2024 draft may still prove to be a positive in New England,” write PFT’s Michael David Smith.
Ja’Lynn Polk and Marcellas Dial Injured
While some of the selections didn’t age well, others were simly plagued with bad luck in year two.
While Ja’Lynn Polk’s roster status was up in the air before the sketchy announcement of his season ending injury, his season was still ultimately ended by an injury.
The same can be said for cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr., who was projecting to be a contributor on this defense in his second year.
The young corner tore his ACL on August 5th, less than a week into the 2025 season. He was immediately placed on the injured reserve following, effectively ending year two before it began.
Caedan Wallace Holding On Hope
The last chance to crub this depressing statistic lies with Caedan Wallace.
The 2024 third round selection is hoping that his versatility as both a guard and tackle contributor will land him inside the top eight to ten lineman on roster.
Wallace firmly lands in this range, so this will likely come down to a last second decision from the coaching staff.
Some sources project that the Patriots will severe ties with both Wallace and Vederian Lowe before the season begins and find a tackle on the waiver wire. This would be the final blow to the ’24 class.
“There is a group of seven here that feels locked in,” Phil Perry writes in his final offensive line roster projection. “After that? Uncertainty. The Patriots could use more tackle depth, which is why Lowe makes it. But if that depth comes via trade or the waiver wire, that would come as little surprise.”
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