Patriots' picks and needs on Day 3 of NFL Draft
FOXBORO -- The Patriots have accomplished a lot at the 2024 NFL Draft so far, landing a quarterback, a receiver, and an offensive lineman over the first three rounds. That checks off all the big boxes on New England's to-do list, but their work is far from done.
The Patriots have five more picks to plug some more holes on the roster Saturday afternoon on the third and final day of the draft. Here's what Eliot Wolf and company will be working with when things kick off at noon.
When will the Patriots pick on Day 3 of the NFL Draft?
Round 4, Pick 103 (selected offensive lineman Layden Robinson)
Round 4, Pick 110 (Selected UCF wide receiver Javon Baker with pick from Chargers via Friday night's trade)
Round 6, Pick 180 (selected South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial)
Round 6, Pick 193 (selected Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton with pick Jacksonville via Mac Jones trade)
Round 7, Pick 231 (selected Florida State tight end Jaheim Bell with pick from Chicago via N'Keal Harry trade)
Friday night's swap with the Chargers had the Patriots move back three spots in the second round, but they also moved up from the 137th pick in the fifth round to the 110th pick in the fourth round. So they'll have a couple of picks right from the jump on Saturday afternoon, barring another trade.
Teams have five minutes to make a pick in rounds 4-6, and then four minutes to make picks in the seventh and final round.
What positions do the Patriots need to address on Day 3 of the NFL Draft?
Kudos to Eliot Wolf for accomplishing the three things the Patriots absolutely needed to do at the draft. The Pats needed a quarterback, they needed a receiver for that quarterback, and they needed another bodyguard for that quarterback.
Now keep going! The potential is there to add another receiver, though roughly 1,456 have been drafted already this year. (Rough, rough estimate.) It's an extremely thin draft at tight end, so if Wolf wants to continue to "weaponize" the offense, the Pats could draft a running back sometime in the later rounds.
And considering Jerod Mayo is a defensive-minded guy, he's likely dying to add a defensive player in his first draft as HC of the NEP. Imagine the fist bump Wolf is going to get after he drafts a defensive player.
On that side of the ball, the Patriots could use a defensive lineman or two, with only Keion White and Sam Roberts on the books beyond next season. And adding another edge-rusher to the mix wouldn't be a bad idea with Matthew Judon coming back from a season-ending pectoral injury.
The Pats will be getting 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez back too, but they could use some more depth at corner. Adding another safety wouldn't be a bad idea either.