The Athletic has live coverage of NFL Draft Rounds 4-7. Follow along with our picks tracker, best available and The Beast.
The New England Patriots addressed their three biggest needs with their first three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Drake Maye was a no-brainer with the No. 3 pick, then the Pats tried to get him some help at the most important positions: wide receiver and left tackle. Even if it seems like they may have reached in picking both wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk and offensive tackle Caedan Wallace in Rounds 2 and 3, they’ve filled those needs.
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Did the Patriots do enough to help Drake Maye on Day 2 of the draft?
Now the Patriots enter Day 3 of the draft with five selections and the chance to consider quite a few positions. Let’s look at some of the options in each round (the Pats enter with two fourth-round picks but none in the fifth round).
NFL Draft 2024 tracker: Live blog, pick-by-pick grades and analysis
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?
Draft pick grades: Our experts rate Rounds 2-3
Full draft order: Team picks for all 257 selections
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Round 4
Javon Baker, WR, UCF
Baker was a big-play machine in college with five plays of 50 yards or more last season and was a yards-after-the-catch threat who was also used on screens and jet sweeps. He mostly played on the outside, which would be useful in New England. Baker started his career at Alabama before transferring to UCF as a junior to get more playing time. He doesn’t have great speed (4.54-second 40), but he has a track record of winning deep (his 21 catches of 20-plus yards last season were fourth most among receivers in this draft class).
Cam Hart, CB, Notre Dame
If de facto GM Eliot Wolf wants to take a chance on someone who looks the part (even if the past production wasn’t always great), Hart is a perfect candidate. He earned a spot on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” for running faster than 23 mph and is 6-foot-3 with 33-inch arms, ideal size for an outside corner. He has a history of shoulder injuries, so teams will have to feel good about his medicals, but he played a ton of man coverage in college, which the Patriots defense typically relies on.
Gabe Hall, DT, Baylor
After losing Lawrence Guy and with Christian Barmore set to become a free agent, the Patriots could look for a defensive tackle in the middle rounds. Hall passes the eye test (6-foot-6, 294 pounds) and led Baylor in sacks in 2022 (5.5), though his production dipped a bit last season (two sacks). If Wolf — as we predict — values traits over production on Day 3, Hall could be a target.
Gabriel Murphy, Edge, UCLA
An explosive athlete, he has short arms that could force him to the inside of the line and make him a positional tweener. Typically, the Patriots haven’t minded that, though it’s hard to know what new coach Jerod Mayo thinks. Murphy started his career at North Texas before transferring to UCLA, where he posted eight sacks in 13 games last season.
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New England Patriots NFL Draft picks 2024: Grades, fits and scouting reports
Round 5
Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
A standout during Senior Bowl practices, Laube showed he could make the jump up from the FCS level. He had plenty of offers to leave UNH for a Power 5 scholarship last year, but he stayed at New Hampshire and put up crazy numbers, topping 1,400 all-purpose yards in both his junior and senior seasons. He thrives as a pass catcher and could be a nice option as a third-down back in the NFL.
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Curtis Jacobs, LB, Penn State
A former five-star recruit who was ranked No. 36 nationally, Jacobs became a starter at Penn State as a sophomore and also played on most special teams units, something that could help a fifth-round pick stick on an NFL roster.
Eric Watts, Edge, Connecticut
He’s another example of having the perfect traits (6-foot-5, 274 pounds, 84-inch wingspan) for his position, something we think will entice Wolf in his first year calling the shots in the draft. Watts had only two sacks last season and would be another case of betting on a player’s traits over his production.
Round 6
Ryan Flournoy, WR, SE Missouri State
The 6-foot receiver was a no-star recruit who bounced from Central Missouri to juco to SE Missouri State, where he led the team in receiving both years there. He has speed (4.4-second 40) and earned a spot on Feldman’s “Freaks List,” but he faces a serious step up in competition.
Kamal Hadden, CB, Tennessee
He doesn’t have great straight-line speed, but he’s a true outside corner who doesn’t give up big plays. He only allowed one catch of more than 15 yards last season and none above 20 yards. He has battled injuries over the last three years which will make his selection a bit risky, but he could be worth a flier in the sixth round.
Frank Crum, OT, Wyoming
The cousin of former college basketball and NBA star Adam Morrison, Crum was also a prep hoops standout before choosing football in college where he became a five-year starter. Crum is 6-foot-8 with long 34-inch arms, so he has a frame an offensive line coach would love to develop on the outside.
Dallin Holker, TE, Colorado State
Holker started his career at BYU, then didn’t play football in 2019 or 2020 while on a religious mission. Because of that, he’ll be an old rookie (he’s already 24). But he broke out last season after transferring, recording 767 receiving yards in 12 games for Colorado State, leading all FBS tight ends in catches, yards and first downs. He could be a late bloomer who’s worth a shot late in the draft.
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Bub Means, WR, Pittsburgh
He played both of his seasons at Pittsburgh for Tiquan Underwood, now the Patriots’ assistant wide receivers coach. Means is a quick receiver who can win deep but struggles to gain yards after the catch.
Round 7
Jalen Coker, WR, Holy Cross
He’s a natural outside receiver who is 6-foot-1, 208 pounds and was a three-year starter at Holy Cross. His 15 touchdowns last season were the most in the FCS, and 80 percent of his 59 catches went for either a first down or a touchdown.
Jawhar Jordan, RB, Louisville
Once a prized recruit, Jordan has dealt with injuries that have hurt his draft status. But he’s quick and runs well (he rushed for 1,128 yards last season) and could try to carve out a role in the NFL as a third-down back. There are some questions about his blocking ability, however.
Tyler Davis, DT, Clemson
Davis dealt with injuries in 2020, 2021 and 2022, which limited his playing time even though he was a starter each season. He has shorter arms than you’d like for the position (31 inches), but he’s a true nose tackle who could provide depth on the line.
C.J. Hanson, G, Holy Cross
He was a late bloomer on the football field, only starting one season in high school. But he became one of Holy Cross’ best players, a three-year starter who was a first-team All-Patriot League player the last two seasons.
Ryan Watts III, S, Texas
He played cornerback in college but likely will face a position change in the NFL and will need to thrive on special teams to stick on a roster. Still, his athletic testing was incredible for a safety (he had a broad jump of over 11 feet), which should entice an NFL team to take a chance on him.
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(Photo of Cam Hart: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
