Offense Weaponized? Patriots Did Best To Accomplish Goal In NFL Draft

Eliot Wolf’s use of buzz words captivated the attention of just about every New England Patriots fan.

Wolf, though, followed through on his offseason intention. He and the Patriots weaponized the offense as best they could during the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Patriots used seven of their eight total picks on offensive players during the three-day event. New England not only secured what many believe will be the team’s quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, but then added two receivers and two offensive lineman with their first five selections.

After picking players to address their three biggest needs during the first three rounds — quarterback, wide receiver and offensive line — the Patriots doubled down in the fourth round Saturday afternoon. Fourth-round offensive lineman Layden Robinson (No. 103) and fourth-round receiver Javon Baker (No. 110) further added to New England’s offensive haul.

While the Patriots won’t name Maye the starting quarterback just yet, the belief is their two new receivers — Ja’Lynn Polk (No. 37) and Baker — could turn out to be productive starters in the near future. Neither are viewed as the set-it-and-forget-it X receivers, but comments from experts during the pre-draft process and the sentiments from Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo portray confidence.

“He’s (Polk) one of those guys, smooth route runner, has good hands, can do a lot of different things and he’s smart,” Mayo said during a video conference Saturday evening. “That’s one thing that we covered around here. He’s flexible, can play in different spots, and I’m excited to really see him out there.

Mayo added on Baker: “Look, you talk about run after catch, the run after catch, this guy is aggressive, and I would say Bake is all about — he’s all ball. He’s all ball, which I can appreciate. You can see the passion come through when you watch them on film.”

Baker, specifically, just sounds like a primer wide receiver with his mentality.

The Patriots added another developmental quarterback prospect in Tennessee’s Joe Milton III. Milton admitted he was caught off guard by the pick given the selection of Maye, but Mayo attributed it to the fact Milton is a good football player. The team’s final pick in the seventh round was used on tight end Jaheim Bell.

Third-rounder Caedan Wallace, who the Patriots believe has the potential to move from the right side to left tackle, is another major piece in everything. Wolf said the fact Wallace played alongside one of the best tackles in the country at Penn State was a reason he wasn’t on the left beforehand. Mayo also relayed the confidence from the coaching staff that Wallace will be able move to the left edge.

“I love the way that he plays, but after having conversations with (Alex) Van Pelt and Scotty Peters and that group and (Robert) Kugler, they were very confident that this guy could play on both sides,” Mayo said. “I have to have confidence that I picked the right people to evaluate or project what this guy can do going forward.”

Is this to say the Patriots just landed five long-term starters at positions of dire need? No, it’s not. At this point nobody has any idea how many productive players will come from the group.

But, after hearing from both Wolf and Mayo, the Patriots clearly feel they targeted positions of need and drafted the players they studied and felt most confident in.

They feel like they weaponized the offense.