Now that the draft is over and the rookie mini-camp is on tap (this weekend), I thought it would be an excellent time to assess where the holes are - at least on paper - for the Patriots' roster.
As I have written - and quoted someone from the outside looking in this weekend - Eliot Wolf's rebuild of this roster would never be completed in one offseason. Anyone who thinks that, lives in the land of make-believe. That doesn't mean that if everything broke correctly, the Patriots couldn't push to be a .500 team. However, the most important thing - aside from figuring out if this coaching staff can actually coach - is developing the young players (the 2024 draft class, Pop Douglas, Christian Gonzalez, Keion White, Marte Mapu, Marcus Jones). In the meantime, I present my top five concerns, from biggest to smallest.
1. Left side of the offensive line: It's never good to be sitting here in early May not knowing who your left tackle and left guard are, but that's where new head coach Jerod Mayo is. Oh, sure, if they had to play today — which, as they've pointed out, they don't — the Pats would roll Chukwuma Okorafor and Nick Leverett and feel okay (I guess?).
Okorafor is a starting tackle in this league. The problem is he's been a right-side guy. Can he make that leap? Ditto for rookie third-rounder Caedan Wallace. It's asking a ton of Wallace. At least with Okorafor, he's been in the league for six years and understands what he's up against. If neither shows like they've got a handle on it, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pats at least inquire about Donovan Smith and/or Charles Leno. Both are left tackles and passable at the position.
Leverett started 10 games in front of Tom Brady during his final season in Tampa Bay but only appeared in three games as a reserve this past season. The former undrafted free agent is 27 years old and is not my idea of a starter, but based on where Atonio Mafi was at the end of last season, it's too much of a leap to project him as a starter. As for Cole Strange, everything remains quiet on that front. He suffered the ACL tear late in the year, so I wouldn't be surprised if he begins camp on the PUP list. Could fourth-rounder Layden Robinson factor into the mix ASAP? He'll be given an opportunity for sure.
2. Wide Receiver: There is no true #1 on the roster as of this moment. Or a #2. Kendrick Bourne is best suited to be a #3.
Will the two rookies - Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker - make us forget that the Pats swung and missed on a potential difference-maker in free agency (Ridley) and - to this point- haven't been able to swing a deal for that type of player in the trade market (possibles: Aiyuk, Samuel, Metcalf, Godwin, and Sutton)? Talk about asking a lot. That said, considering where this group has been the last few seasons - and last year in particular - the floor is so low it's in the basement. Just don't suck, and that will be a hell of a start.
Polk is more polished than Baker, though Baker certainly presents as more of a true "X." With Bourne coming off his November ACL surgery, to ask him to be the same guy he was before the injury by September is unfair. So the Pats will need one or both kids to step up.
Then there's Tyquan Thornton. It's nut-cutting time. There's one job open. Get it. Or become a Jalen Reagor-type, bouncing from team to team.
3. Edge Rusher: I know what you're thinking. Matthew Judon is back. Josh Uche is back. White should be more of a force in year two (he was solid in year one). On paper, it looks fine. Even good. But the reality is Judon is coming off a season-ending injury, and who knows how his contract situation plays out. Uche was a different player than he was the year prior (when I thought he was headed for another big season and a bigger contract) and lost playing time as the season went on. And White is not a pass-rush specialist. The Pats didn't add a player via the draft. Let's see what it looks like.
4. Cornerback: Gonzalez was really good for three games. Then he got hurt. So, while everyone pencils him in as a shutdown corner, I need to see him do it for an entire season or something close to it. He has the talent for it, but does he have the durability? The toughness? The mental makeup to overcome a bad play or a bad day? Because that will happen. We don't know that yet. We heard from Gonzo on Tuesday. Is the shoulder good?
"I'm still just going," he said. "I'm focusing on still rehabbing, strengthening the shoulder, and trying to get better for this year."
Will you be ready for OTAs?
"That's kind of out of my control," he said. "Just doing what I got to do."
Why the mystery?
On the opposite side, Jon Jones is one of the toughest dudes we've seen in these parts, but his play dropped off some last year, and he's dealt with a fair share of injuries. Beyond that, Marcus Jones looks like he's penciled in as the nickel. Still, he struggled last summer and into the season before he, too, suffered an injury that robbed him of the necessary experience and us of having a better clue for what he could be as a DB. Rookie Marcellas Dial, second-year pros Isaiah Bolden (he missed his rookie year), and Alex Austin will be eyeballed for potential youthful depth. If they can't provide it, Shaun Wade is still around, and there continue to be rumblings of a J.C. Jackson reunion.
5. Quarterback: Jacoby Brissett is better than he gets credit for. He's also not the long-term answer. He knows that. You know that. We all know that. That's why I'm not worried about the position in the short term. This vet KNOWS HIS ROLE (I channeled The Rock on that one).
Brissett's most crucial role is helping shepherd rookie Drake Maye. That is the most critical thing for the 2024-25 Pats, the '25-'26 team, the '26-'27 team, and so on.