INDIANAPOLIS — Construct around a known commodity, which could become pricey, or build around the younger, cost-efficient option with more upside.
This is essentially the question that New England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf and Company wake up to every morning, as they seek their final answer. With the combine rumor winds swirling in Indy, the Patriots have been linked to Baker Mayfield as a possible destination, according to NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah. In addition, the Russell Wilson marriage arrangement in Denver came to an end Monday when the team announced it would be releasing him at the start of the league year, and New England brass must weigh whether the former Super Bowl champion quarterback is a better alternative than the 'third-best' rookie in the 2024 NFL Draft.
With intensified speculation that New England could be in the market for a veteran quarterback, it would appear that the Patriots are open for business with the No. 3 pick. This logic would seem to make sense, when you consider how many other needs are on this roster. However, quarterback still remains the most vital position in all of sports. That is why New England made sure to do their due diligence on all the top signal-callers in the draft, conducting formal interviews with Caleb Williams of USC, Jayden Daniels of LSU, Drake Maye of UNC and JJ McCarthy of Michigan.
Should the Patriots explore a trade-down, one potential suitor would be the New York Giants, who own the No.6, No.37, No.47 and No.70 overall picks in this year's draft. If the GMen are willing to offer future first-round picks (2025 & 2026), plus additional picks this year's draft (No.37 & No.70), in exchange for sliding down from No. 3 to No. 6, it may be an offer too good to refuse.
The possibilities are no different from playing the lotto for Wolf. Listening to him speak at the podium, it was clear that change is in the air, as he gets set to embark upon the biggest decision of his professional career. Make the right choice and get promoted to permanent GM. Select the wrong quarterback and find your way back to the unemployment line. That is the magnitude of the decision at hand for Wolf and life in the NFL, a bottom-line business.
There's much work to be done over the next 50 days on Patriot Way.
WOLF RECEIVES HONOR. Each year at the NFL Scouting Combine, well-respected Inside The League hands out football industry awards, including 'Best Draft,' lifetime achievement awards within the scouting and agent community, plus several other categories. Wolf was selected by his peers as an honoree for 'Top Executive,' along with Ed Dobbs and Matt Terpening of the Indianapolis Colts. It was the 7th Annual ITL Awards Presentation, as voted on by NFL executives and scouts.
QB AFTERTHOUGHTS. Should New England decide to go the veteran quarterback route, it doesn't preclude them from selecting a rookie quarterback later in the draft. After the top-tier quarterback prospects, there are a couple of signal-callers who could pique the Patriots' interest. The evolution of Spencer Rattler has been a hot topic. Once labeled as 'immature' during his time at Oklahoma, Rattler was deemed one of the more 'mature' quarterbacks who made the interview rounds, according to sources. Once pegged as a sure-fire first-round pick and next 'Heisman Hopeful' from Oklahoma, Rattler could certainly be worth a roll of the dice in the mid-rounds. Another once-heralded prospect who lost some luster due to injuries is Kentucky flame-thrower Devin Leary. With 43 career games under his belt at Lexington and NC State, Leary boasts nearly 10,000 passing yards, along with 87 touchdown passes and just 28 interceptions. Leary is one of the more accomplished signal-callers in this year's draft who could come up snakeyes.
PLAYMAKERS APLENTY. The depth of this wide receiver class was on full display in Indianapolis and if combine meetings were any indication, New England is certain to add at least one premier playmaker at the top of the draft and possibly more. Team officials met with wide receiver targets expected to be chosen at every stage, including first-round targets Marvin Harrison Jr. of OSU and Rome Odunze of Washington. Both prospects could be in play should New England trade back in the first round. Harrison has taken a bit of an unorthodox approach, opting to skip testing and workouts entirely but impressed teams during interviews with his maturity level. Meanwhile, Odunze was one of the combine media darlings and the last player to leave the field on Saturday, as he attempted to run a faster three-cone drill for scouts still lingering; passion noted.
SECOND SHELF WEAPONS. Landing a wideout weapon atop of the second round (No.34 overall) remains a distinct possibility. While New England has been linked to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, they also conducted a formal interview with one of his top targets, Brian Thomas. The electrifying Thomas was somewhat overlooked in the hoopla surrounding Texas burner Xavier Worthy and his 4.21 record-setting forty-yard dash but Thomas, at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, ran a remarkable 4.33, displaying incredible speed in his own right. Another player the Patriots got to know was South Carolina big-bodied receiver Xavier Leggette whose frame, explosion and run after catch ability is similar to AJ Brown. Measuring in at 6-foot-1 and weighing 221 pounds, Leggette ran an impressive 4.39 forty-yard dash, along with a 40-inch vertical jump. His size and speed on the boundary would be a welcomed addition to New England. Potential Day Three prospects whom the Patriots met with in Indianapolis include Rice speedster Luke McCaffrey and local product Jalen Coker from Holy Cross. The McCaffrey bloodlines are well documented and Luke turned some heads by running a faster forty (4.46) than his All-Pro brother Christian McCaffrey. Meanwhile, Coker is a name that has constantly been linked to the Patriots and has now impressed at various pitstops, including the Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL Combine.
BACKFIELD REINFORCEMENTS. It's no secret that New England cannot rely solely upon Rhamondre Stevenson to be the bell cow. In terms of efficiency and durability, they will need to improve. Whether or not Stevenson sustains the starting job remains to be seen but there are sure to be new faces. One running back they got intimate with was Kentucky plodder Ray Davis. The compact, 5-foot-8, 211-pound bruiser has proven to pick up the tough yards, as evidenced by gaining 1,000 rushing yards with three different schools (Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Temple), the first player in NCAA history to accomplish such a feat. Meanwhile, New Hampshire jackknife Dylan Laube continues to be a name worth monitoring for New England; the versatile back was also asked to conduct wide receiver drills in Indianapolis. Both Davis and Laube project as Day Three candidates.
BLINDSIDE PROTECTORS. The good news for New England is that two positions of dire need, also happen to be positions of great strength in this year's draft. Between the aforementioned wide receiver class and deep offensive tackle class, the Patriots first two selections could very well be a combination of those two groups. Patriots brass were sure to meet with the top two offensive tackle prospects in Joe Alt of Notre Dame and Olu Fashanu of Penn State. This is a true sign that New England is keeping all options open at this point in time. In such a scenario, the organization would need to take a deep look in the mirror and ask themselves if a combination such as Mayfield/Wilson (via free agency), Alt/Fashanu (round one) and Thomas/Leggette (round two), would be the best recipe for success in making New England a playoff contender for the first time in four years. [Editor's Note: We have reserved the comments section for your takes!]
INSIDE THE TRENCHES. Depending on the current situation surrounding free agent guard Mike Onwenu, New England will likely be in the market for help on the interior. The Detroit native started 32 games for the Pats over the past two seasons and is actively seeking new representation after firing his agent--this approach often leads to the player/agent seeking the best financial offer on the open market. In that circumstance, the team could turn to what is an under-appreciated offensive guard crop. With the guard position being devalued in recent years, Boston College road-grader Christian Mahogany would be an excellent under-the-radar prospect on Day Two, capable of starting immediately. Another familiar target would be Jahvion Cohen who played under Alonzo Highsmith in Miami. Both Mahogany at the East-West Shrine Bowl and Cohen at the Senior Bowl, looked to be amongst the best at their position, while turning in adequate combine performances. Another name that has been bandied about is North Andover product Zak Zinter, who started 42 games at Michigan (41 of which at right guard) but suffered a broken leg late in the season.
CORNERING THE MARKET. Look for the Pats to add a cornerback early in the draft after the release of JC Jackson. New England made sure to place an emphasis on getting to know plenty of them throughout the week, including lengthy Notre Dame cornerback Cam Hart, who brings size, athleticism and versatility. During his appearance on NFL Network, Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman praised the leadership of his team captain, one trait that has been synonymous with the Patriots of yesteryear. We have previously discussed the pipeline of Rutgers defensive backs to New England, so it wasn't surprising that they had a formal meeting with Scarlet Knights athletic specimen Max Melton. Based on his combine performance, Melton may have moved himself towards the top 50 overall after clocking a 4.39 forty, with a 40.5" vertical jump and 11-4 broad jump; numbers comparable to former first-round pick Byron Jones. Despite many draftniks proclaiming the 5-foot-11 Melton to be a slot corner, he played 98% of his career snaps at Rutgers on the perimeter.
SAFETY INSURANCE. The Patriots have reportedly engaged in contract talks with Kyle Dugger to keep him in New England but the team wasted no time getting to know some of the top safeties in the draft. It's anticipated that a run on safeties will occur somewhere in the middle rounds, so they made sure to meet with a handful of players who fall in that range. They include the lumbering Cole Bishop of Utah, turnover machine Jaylin Simpson of Auburn, athletic tweener Evan Williams from Oregon and center fielder Josh Proctor of Ohio State. One other notable name worth monitoring is Kam Kinchens of Miami. After what has been labeled as a 'disappointing' combine performance due to a 'slow' 4.65 forty time, word is Kinchens could slide come April. His film screams first round talent and Highsmith will be in the war room to remind everyone of that.
* Be sure to check back later this week for post-combine player rankings and the latest NFL Draft buzz on Boston Sports Journal! For more from Ric Serritella, follow him on X.