Meet the New England Patriots' 2024 NFL Draft class
FOXBORO -- The Patriots went nearly all offense in the 2024 NFL Draft, which was the first of the Jerod Mayo/Eliot Wolf regime in New England. Of the eight new players the Patriots added through the draft, seven of them play on the offensive side of the ball.
But that was New England's focus going into the draft, and they were able to check off everything on their to-do list. The three biggest areas of need heading in were at quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle, and they nailed those down with their first three picks.
The Patriots addressed the most important position on the field first, selecting Drake Maye third overall. And with some key additions to the roster over the last three days, Mayo hopes the team has a much better season in 2024 than the 4-13 campaign that earned them that third overall pick.
"Hopefully we never have to pick at three again," Mayo said after his first draft as head coach of the Patriots.
There's a lot of intriguing young talent coming to New England, so let's take a look at the team's 2024 draft class.
Drake Maye, Quarterback
The Patriots got the quarterback they wanted with the third overall pick, taking Maye out of North Carolina. Maye looks the part at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds and had an incredible season for the Tar Heels in 2022, earning ACC Player of the Year honors. He took a bit of a step back last year when he lost his top two receivers to the NFL Draft, but he has a ton of upside at the most important position on the field.
You can read all about Maye here, and our own Michael Hurley wrote how Maye was the right choice for the Patriots. Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick also shared his thoughts on Maye in his new gig as a draft analyst with Pat McAfee, though Belichick was pretty critical of the 21-year-old.
Ja'Lynn Polk, Wide Receiver
After drafting a quarterback with their first pick, the Pats gave him (or Jacoby Brissett) a tough and versatile receiver in Ja'Lynn Polk, who caught a ton of passes last season for the Washington Huskies.
The 6-foot-2 Polk had 18 touchdowns over his three years as a starter, and had seven 100-yard games in 2023. He has flexibility to play both inside and outside, and can really get up there and make catches.
The Patriots initially had the 34th pick (the second selection of the second round) but traded down a few spots with the Chargers and drafted Polk at 37th overall.
Caedan Wallace, Offensive Lineman
What are the Patriots getting in Wallace? "I'm a baller," the 68th overall pick told reporters Friday night.
A big baller at that too, with Wallace checking in at 6-foot-5 and 314 pounds. He was an excellent right tackle at Penn State, allowing just a single sack on 359 pass blocking snaps last season, but the Patriots (and Wallace) believe he can play left tackle.
And some guard too if needed, as Wolf referred to Wallace as a potential "four-position guy." Wallace could provide a huge boost to New England's offensive line, which was a disaster for most of the 2023 season.
Layden Robinson, Offensive Lineman
The Patriots stuck with the offensive line in the fourth round, taking Layden Robinson out of Texas A&M with the 103rd overall pick.
The 6-foot-3, 302-pound Robinson was second-team All-SEC for the Aggies last season, starting 11 games at right guard. He allowed just one sack last season, but ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss notes that Robinson also took the third-most penalties among interior linemen in the SEC.
Javon Baker, Wide Receiver
The front office took another crack at wide receiver in the fourth round, drafting Javon Baker out of UCF at No. 110 overall.
The 6-foot-1, 202-pound Baker made the All-Big 12 First Team after catching 52 passes for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023. He's not the fastest receiver, but he makes a ton of catches thanks to his long arms, great body control, and some tremendous leaping abilities.
He's also got loads of confidence, delivering one of the best lines of the 2024 NFL Draft after being drafted by New England. Here's what Baker said when asked what Patriots fans should know about his game.
"Just come to the home stadium and bring your popcorn, as I like to tell y'all. Bring your popcorn. I make people in wheelchairs stand up," Baker said. "Bring your popcorn."
Marcellas Dial, Cornerback
The Patriots finally took a defensive player with their first pick in the sixth round, selecting cornerback Marcellas Dial out of South Carolina. He was the only player the team added to that side of the ball during the draft.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Dial transferred to South Carolina in 2021 after beginning his collegiate career at Georgia Military College. Over his three seasons with the Gamecocks, Dial recording three interceptions and 31 pass defenses.
Joe Milton, Quarterback
The Patriots added yet another quarterback to the roster, using the pick acquired in the Mac Jones trade (No. 193 overall) to draft Joe Milton out of Tennessee.
Milton has a cannon for an arm and threw for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Volunteers last season. He also rushed for 299 yards and seven touchdowns.
He landed at Tennessee in 2021 after spending three years at Michigan. Last year was Milton's first full collegiate season as a starting quarterback, though he started five of Michigan's six games in COVID-shortened 2020 season.
He now joins a QB room in New England that includes Maye, Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe, and Nathan Rourke.
Jahiem Bell, Tight End
With their final pick at No. 231, the Patriots drafted Florida State tight end Jahiem Bell, who was Second-Team All-ACC last season. The 6-foot-2, 241-pound Bell started nine of the 13 games that he played for the Seminoles, and corralled 39 receptions for 503 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Bell spent his first three seasons of college ball at South Carolina, and racked up 95 receptions for 1,260 yards and nine touchdowns (plus four more rushing scores) over his four years.