The Patriots knew it. You knew it. We knew it. Everyone knew it.
The Patriots had fewer needs on defense, and that’s exactly why they used seven of their eight selections in the 2024 NFL Draft on the offensive side of the ball.
“We had more holes on the offensive side of the ball. You guys knew that,” head coach Jerod Mayo said Saturday. “Defensively, we feel pretty good about the players that we have.”
After taking UNC quarterback Drake Maye, Washington wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk and Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace on the first two days of the draft, the Patriots added more offensive juice with four players on Day 3 but did sprinkle in one defensive player.
The Patriots selected Texas A&M guard Layden Robinson 103rd overall.
Robinson, 22, was a three-year starter at right guard at Texas A&M. The 6-foot-3, 302-pound interior offensive lineman ran a 5.09-second 40-yard dash. He has massive 34 5/8-inch arms for his frame.
From a scout, “Layden is big, strong and steady, moves people in the run game, patient and stout in pass protection.”
Robinson only allowed one sack in 11 games last season. He missed Texas A&M’s final two games with an injury. His best season, based on his PFF grade, came in 2021 when he didn’t allow a sack in 10 games.
The rookie offensive lineman joins a deep group of guards on the Patriots’ roster, including Cole Strange, Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi, Nick Leverett and Michael Jordan.
The Patriots selected UCF wide receiver Javon Baker 110th overall in the fourth round.
Baker, who’s 6-foot-1, 202 pounds, can compete for snaps at the Patriots’ “X” and “Z” roles in the offense. He was very productive as a senior in 2023, racking up 1,139 yards on 52 receptions with seven touchdowns.
From a scout, Baker, 22, is a “really good route runner. Not explosive but is deceptive and changes speeds well. Highly competitive for the ball with a big catch radius.”
The four-star recruit transferred from Alabama after the 2021 season. One scout called him a fun but inconsistent player who has some special traits.
He dropped 14 passes over his last two college seasons.
Baker ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 37-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump.
His 3.21 yards per route run ranked ninth among FBS wide receivers in 2023. He ranked second in yards per reception with 21.9.
He earned a 99.9 PFF grade on deep balls, catching 15-of-30 targets of 20-plus yards for 574 yards with four touchdowns.
Baker was coming off of a 56-catch, 796-yard, five-touchdown season in 2022 at UCF.
The big wideout also has some experience playing in the slot, where 27.1% of his snaps came last season.
He’s a potential steal if he can put everything together at the NFL level.
Baker joins Polk, Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn, DeMario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Kawaan Baker and T.J. Luther in the Patriots’ wide receiver room.
The Patriots added to their cornerback room in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, selecting South Carolina’s Marcellas Dial with the 180th overall pick.
A 5-foot-11, 190-pounder, Dial was a three-year starter for the Gamecocks. He posted 31 pass breakups and three interceptions over his career. He’s an outside corner with reputed man-to-man coverage skills and good speed. Dial played some safety and special teams in college and turns 24 later this year.
“I’m a sticky corner in coverage,” Dial told reporters after his selection.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, he clocked a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash, but a slow 7.29 in the 3-cone; a reflection of below-average quickness. Dial also leapt more than 40 inches in the vertical jump, showing an ability to contest high-arching passes.
Dial said he impressed the Patriots with his football IQ during a pre-draft visit to Foxboro, where he also connected with veteran receiver Kendrick Bourne. He will likely have an uphill battle to a roster spot later this summer.
For now, he joins Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin and Shaun Wade, among others, on the Patriots’ cornerback depth chart.
The Patriots selected Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III with the 193rd overall pick.
Milton is now the fifth quarterback on the roster.
According to a scout, Milton is a “gifted thrower” who will “upgrade the talent” in the Patriots’ quarterback room. Ultimately, it’s a swing on upside for the Patriots, according to a source.
Milton, 24, is 6-foot-5, 246 pounds. He has a massive arm and ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at his pro day with a 35-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump.
He started his college career at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee. The sixth-year senior completed 64.7% of his passes for 2,813 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2023 with 62 carries for 403 yards with seven rushing touchdowns.
Milton joins Maye, Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke on the 90-man roster. He was selected using the draft pick acquired from the Jaguars in a trade for Mac Jones.
The Patriots used their final selection to take Florida State tight end Jaheim Bell with the 231st pick.
Bell, 22, caught 39 passes for 503 yards with two touchdowns last season. He transferred from South Carolina after the 2022 season and caught 95 passes for 1,260 yards with seven touchdowns over the course of his four-year college career.
The 6-foot-2, 241-pound pass catcher ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 35-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 4-inch broad jump.
One scout said Bell is a “super athletic H-back type.” The expectation is that he can be used as a special teams contributor while he develops as a route runner.
Bell has experience in the slot, inline, out wide and even out of the backfield. He had three rushing touchdowns in 2022.
He joins Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Mitchell Wilcox and La’Michael Pettway on the roster at tight end.