On his first day back at the office following the New England Patriots’ late-season bye weekend, Jerod Mayo expressed his optimism about himself as a head coach and the team in general despite a disappointing 3-10 start to his tenure.
During his weekly radio appearance on WEEI, Mayo was asked whether he believes he’ll become a successful NFL coach.
“One hundred percent,” Mayo responded. “I know I’ll be successful. One hundred percent. And look, you’re going to go through these trying times. Like, that’s what it is. And the mark of a true leader is being able to navigate this and knowing that you’re going the right way. And I truly believe that we are going the right way. In the short term, it may be disappointing, but in the long term, we’re doing it the right way.”
Following the bye, attention turns to Arizona.
HC Jerod Mayo on @WEEI: https://t.co/rKYrK6UrZb pic.twitter.com/ooEUzGX1IJ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 9, 2024
Whether Mayo’s right will be impacted by what happens this offseason. The Patriots are again projected to land a top-five pick in the draft. They’ll likely have the most salary-cap space in the league by a wide margin. The resources will be there to improve a bad roster.
But while the cap space might be sufficient to buy a player like Tee Higgins, what the Patriots do in the draft will really dictate how successful this new regime is.
So today, as the Pats return from their break, let’s use Dane Brugler’s mock draft from last week as a guide to what the Pats could do in the first round.
This preliminary look comes with a couple of caveats. First, it’s still December. A lot can change between now and the draft.
The second is that, as Brugler noted, this could be the most polarizing draft class in years. One team might view a player as worth a top-10 pick, whereas another might not see him as a first-round pick at all.
It’s also worth noting that the bye weekend was good for the Patriots. Mac Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars won on Sunday, putting them behind the Patriots in the projected draft order. The Patriots have the easiest schedule among the three-win teams, which is why they have the highest draft pick in that group. Also of note, the two teams currently ahead of them in the draft order (the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants) need quarterbacks, which could be helpful if the Pats end up with the No. 3 pick.
So given that, let’s take a (too early) look at the top four options for the Patriots based on Brugler’s mock draft.
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Why it makes sense: This one is simple. The Patriots lack playmakers and star power. Hunter checks both boxes. He’s probably the most talented player in this draft even though it’s unclear which position(s) Hunter will play in the NFL. With the Patriots, he’d probably do a bit of both. At cornerback, where it seems he projects best, he could help form the best young duo in the league opposite Christian Gonzalez. Plus, once you feel comfortable with him defensively, you could add him to the mix on offense for, say, 10-15 plays a game. And if you sign Higgins in free agency, the need at wide receiver isn’t as extreme once the draft rolls around.
The concern: There are two. The first is that Hunter could be off the board before the Pats are on the clock. He was the No. 1 pick in Brugler’s mock draft, so if the teams in front of the Patriots trade down or don’t go quarterback, New England might not have a shot at Hunter. The second is that while the Patriots can fix their wide receiver position rather easily (add Higgins and another), fixing the offensive line won’t be so easy. If you take Hunter, you’re further ignoring a bad offensive line. Which leads us to …
Will Campbell, OT/G, LSU
Why it makes sense: He’s the best player in the draft at arguably the biggest position of need. That part is simple, and it’s why Brugler had Campbell going to the Patriots in his mock draft. Plus, this doesn’t look like a great draft class for offensive linemen. Brugler had no other O-linemen going in his top 10 and only one other in the top 15. So maybe the safest choice is to pick the best player at your weakest spot.
The concern: Campbell might not be an offensive tackle as a pro. And it might be a stretch to use, say, the No. 3 pick on a guard. Brugler has reported that since Campbell doesn’t have great arm length (get ready for more draft terms!), some teams only view him as a guard (or maybe even a center). Still, he’d be a day-one starter with the Patriots.
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