Morning Sports Update
“Every position is a position of need after years of poor drafting and poor roster management.”
Draft analysts weigh in on the Patriots in 2024: With the Patriots firmly seated in last place of the AFC East, attention has already started to turn toward the 2024 NFL Draft.
New England is 2-8 heading into the Week 12 matchup with the Giants. If the trend continues, the Patriots will end up with one of the worst records in the league. The silver lining, of course, would be one of the top picks in the draft.
What should the Patriots do with such a valuable opportunity to restock the roster?
A group of ESPN draft analysts recently shared their thoughts.
“The Patriots have the worst roster in the NFL, in my opinion,” noted Matt Miller. “Every position is a position of need after years of poor drafting and poor roster management.”
Miller endorsed the strategy of taking the “best available player” to help add the greatest amount of talent.
Using ESPN’s “Football Power Index” (as calculated through 10 weeks of the regular season), the Patriots were projected to get the fourth pick.
In that scenario, the top two quarterbacks of the 2024 class will likely be gone by the time New England is on the clock. With neither USC quarterback Caleb Williams, nor North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye on the board, experts suggested the Patriots look to another position of need.
“There is no obvious QB3 candidate who merits a top-five selection at the moment besides [Shedeur] Sanders, who doesn’t feel likely to declare,” said Field Yates. “Maybe that changes over the pre-draft process, but quarterback isn’t the play right now at No. 4.”
Using that logic, analysts eventually concurred that offensive line — specifically offensive tackle — should be the main focus, given the team’s struggles at the position in 2023.
“The best remaining prospect on my board is Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu,” Miller explained. “The 20-year-old junior left tackle has outstanding tape. He’s a devastating run blocker and has allowed one sack and 2.2% pressure on 323 pass blocks this season. The Patriots’ offensive line has been a mess for a while, and Fashanu would immediately fix the left side.”
Fashanu, currently a redshirt junior, stands 6-foot-6 and fits the definition of a player who could potentially anchor an offensive line.
Beyond physical gifts, Fashanu is a smart player. Pro Football Focus’s Trevor Sikkema noted in a preseason assessment of potential pro prospects at the college level that Fashanu’s “IQ is also far beyond his years.”
“He understands the importance of offensive line chemistry and pressure that could come from all angles,” Sikkema added. “He’ll also be just 21 years old on draft night in 2024.”
Trivia: Bill Belichick has drafted two offensive tackles in the first round during his time as Patriots head coach. Can you name both of them?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: They were selected in 2011 and 2018.
Scores and schedule:
Tonight, both the Bruins and Celtics will be in action. The Bruins will play the Panthers in Florida at 7 p.m.
The Celtics will be at TD Garden to face the Bucks at 7:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
A sense of the Patriots’ locker room: ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss gave his take on whether or not players want a change at quarterback.
On this day: In 2012, the Patriots routed the Jets 49-19 on Thanksgiving night. Amid a 35-point second quarter, New England scored a touchdown at the end of an iconic play that has since become informally known as “the butt fumble.”
Daily highlight: After Kennesaw State appeared to take a decisive lead with 2.5 seconds remaining, East Carolina’s Bobby Pettiford Jr. nailed a half-court buzzer-beater to pull off the improbable 85-84 win.
Trivia answer: Nate Solder, Isaiah Wynn
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