Patriots 2024 Draft Outlook: New England Has Eyes On Rivalry Week

Welcome to the Patriots Prospect Preview, the only place to find college football prospects worth keeping your Patriots-happy eye on throughout the season. Let’s jump into Rivalry Week.

It’s getting kind of old piling on Mac Jones, so we’re going to pivot after exhausting that option in recent weeks. Instead, we decided to use this week to highlight players who might put themselves on NFL radars in college football’s rivalry week.

We’ve talked about rivalry week from a betting perspective already, so if you’re interested in making a couple of bets, go check out our picks for the Week 13 slate. If you’re here to talk potential future Patriots, let’s jump right in.

Bo Nix (#10), QB, Oregon
Week 13: vs. Oregon State (Friday: 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX)

We lied, it’s time to pile on Jones for a quick second.

Nix is one of the few top-tier signal-callers we haven’t highlighted throughout the season, and this might be our last time to get a good look at him. He’s a polarizing prospect, having bounced back from an ugly couple years at Auburn with two tremendous seasons with Oregon. This is the 23-year-old’s final regular season game at the collegiate level, and it comes against the Ducks’ biggest rival — Oregon State. He should be motivated to put on a show, while also facing some adversity in a tremendous Beavers defense.

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Denzel Burke (#10), CB, Ohio State
Week 13: at Michigan (12 p.m. ET on FOX)

Burke is reminiscent of former Ohio State cornerback and current Patriots corner Shaun Wade. He’s always been at his best in the slot, thriving at that spot early in his career before struggling following a transition to the outside.

He’s been very emotional about his final matchup against Michigan, which will give everyone a solid look at the way he plays in a bigger environment.

Terrion Arnold (#3), CB, Alabama
Week 13: at Auburn (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS)

Kool-Aid McKinstry is the cornerback Alabama uses against top receivers, but Arnold might be the Crimson Tide’s best.

Arnold thrived after making the move from safety, having the size and athleticism to play both positions at an extremely high level. The redshirt sophomore is a Nick Saban favorite, which should have him on the Patriots’ radar in and of itself.

Troy Fautanu (#55), OT, Washington
Week 13: vs. Washington State (4 p.m. ET on FOX)

Amarius Mims (#65), OT, Georgia
Week 13: at Georgia Tech (7:30 p.m. ET on ABC)

The Patriots are kind of lucky this season, as their draft position seems to be lining them up to have the ability to cash in on a deep tackle class. That’s why we grouped these two big guys together, as Mims represents a potential first-round option, while Fautanu is seen as a second-round pick.

If New England goes with a QB in the first round, they could have an opportunity to draft Fautanu in the top of the second. They could also trade back, select Mims in the middle of the first round, while recuperating draft capital to take a second-round QB.