Rob Gronkowski 2.0? Patriots Land Stud In ESPN 2024 NFL Mock Draft

The New England Patriots face an undesirable reality as they near the midway point of the 2023 NFL season.

At 2-5, they’re staring at a lost campaign, with very few reasons for optimism and questions mounting on both sides of the ball. A win this Sunday over the Miami Dolphins — one week after beating the Buffalo Bills — would go a long way toward changing the conversation, but some Patriots fans already are looking toward the 2024 NFL Draft, wondering whether that’s New England’s best chance to land a superstar capable of changing the franchise’s fortunes.

The Patriots’ draft position obviously is undetermined. The same goes for everyone else. And there’s a particularly wide range of outcomes for New England, a team theoretically still capable of rejoining the playoff picture.

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But that didn’t stop ESPN’s Jordan Reid from releasing an updated 2024 mock draft Wednesday, with the projected draft order determined by ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) simulating the remainder of the 2023 season.

The Patriots landed the No. 7 overall pick in Round 1, based on the simulations. (That’s one spot below where they’d be picking if the season ended before Week 8.)

Reid predicted New England would select Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, a first-team All-American in 2022 and a second-team All-American in 2021 who’s won two national titles with the Bulldogs.

Here’s what Reid wrote about the projection:

You would have to go all the way back to 2010 to find the last time the Patriots drafted an offensive playmaker who turned into a standout player: Rob Gronkowski. And with Bowers sitting atop the best available list, New England can land a special tight end to improve QB Mac Jones’ supporting cast. He’s an ideal fit in the Patriots’ offense. Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki are both scheduled to be free agents, so Bowers would immediately be a go-to option. The Georgia star is out with a left ankle injury, but he had 567 receiving yards over seven games before having surgery.

New England could look to address their QB situation, too, but it’s hard to envision coach Bill Belichick wanting to start over with a young passer. Instead, Bowers could help Jones regain his rookie-season form.

The Patriots have a litany of needs, with quarterback being the most glaring weakness, depending on your outlook of Mac Jones. They could use help along the offensive line and there’s a clear dearth of explosive playmakers relative to some other legitimate contenders across the NFL. Not to mention the defense hasn’t been the same since Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon and standout rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez went down with injuries.

But Bowers, the 2022 recipient of the John Mackey Award, presented annually to college football’s best tight end, is a unique talent who’s garnered comparisons to Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski thanks to his prowess as both a pass catcher and a blocker. Bowers is listed at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds.

Reid’s mock draft has the top two quarterbacks — USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye — going to the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively. The ESPN scribe has Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. going to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 2.