7-round mock draft 3.0: New England Maye have a quarterback

Matt St. Jean’s third mock of the offseason shows how the draft could fall if the Pats land Drake Maye.

In my first two New England Patriots mock drafts of the offseason, I looked at scenarios in which they traded out of pick No. 3 or took the best non-quarterback. In this one, my No. 2 quarterback falls to the third pick and the Patriots give Alex Van Pelt a QB to mold.

Matt St. Jean’s seven-round mock draft Version 1.0 | Version 2.0

Round 1

1-3: QB Drake Maye (North Carolina): In this mock, Maye slides past Washington and right into New England’s lap. The North Carolina product has all of the tools you want in an NFL quarterback with the frame, arm talent, and running ability you need to succeed in the pros in 2024. He’s also young with high levels of production.

Maye started as a redshirt freshman and threw for 4,321 yards 38 scores while only tossing seven picks. Those numbers took a dip in 2023, but that was largely a result of Maye losing his top receivers from the year before and only having limited time with their replacement, Tez Walker. The 21-year-old leaves North Carolina with over 8,000 passing yards, over 1,000 rushing yards, and 79 combined passing and rushing touchdowns.

The key for Maye at the next level will be refinement. His accuracy is good, but he has a tendency to spray occasionally. He sees the field well, as evidenced by his highlight-reel creative plays and limited number of turnovers, but he can improve his anticipation to get the ball out earlier. Under the tutelage of a revamped offensive staff, the hope would be that Maye is an instant upgrade at quarterback who develops into a franchise cornerstone.

Round 2

2-34: WR Xavier Legette (South Carolina): Legette is one of the more interesting prospects in this class. He had just 423 receiving yards through his first four seasons at South Carolina before breaking out with 1,255 in Year 5. He is a freak athlete who played quarterback in high school and had setbacks in his development with injuries and the disruption of the Covid-19 season.

His true high-end speed shows up after the catch, and he’s hard to bring down at 6-foot-1, 221 pounds with 4.39 speed. He’s physical with his releases and at the catch point, making him a great fit for New England at the X-receiver spot.

Round 3

3-68: OT Kiran Amegadjie (Yale): Amegadjie may be the most interesting prospect in this draft. He didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year of high school, and he only had one FBS offer. Amegadjie opted to go to Yale, where his freshman season was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. He spent the year off bulking up and learning the playbook, and when football resumed, he earned a starting job.

At 6-foot-5 with arms over 36 inches in length, the Yale product has all of the athleticism you want in an NFL tackle. He received All-Ivy League honors in 2021 and 2022 before his 2023 season ended after just four games with a torn quad. His game is still a work in progress, but Amegadjie has the physical and mental tools to succeed at the NFL level.

Round 4

4-103: TE Theo Johnson (Penn State): Theo Johnson was one of the stories of the NFL Combine with his 9.99 Relative Athletic Score. At 6-foot-6, 259 pounds, he posted a 4.47 40-time and showed elite explosion in the broad and vertical jumps. While he doesn’t have the best production with just 938 career receiving yards, I’m willing to bet on those athletic traits. If the coaching staff can harness his speed and power and find a way to develop his game, he could be a steal.

Round 5

5-136: OT Javon Foster (Missouri): Foster, a fifth-year player out of Missouri, started the last three seasons at left tackle after getting time at right tackle in 2020 for the Tigers. PFF likes him, with grades of 80 or higher in all three years on the left side. Foster also impressed people at the Senior Bowl. The hope is that his play translates to the next level as a quality swing tackle in year one.

Round 6

6-179: TE Tip Reiman (Illinois): The Patriots double-dip on athletic but unproductive Big Ten tight ends in this mock. Reiman finished the combine with an RAS of 9.93, finishing only a few spots behind draft mate Theo Johnson in the all-time ranks at the position. Reiman has even less production with just 420 career receiving yards, but how many men do you know who can run a 4.64 40 at 271 pounds? Hopefully, one of these two tight ends figures out how to use their athleticism at the next level and turns into a high-level player.

6-192: ED Brennan Jackson (Washington State): Jackson is an athletic edge defender who racked up 24.5 sacks in his last two years of college. He’s a high-effort player who is still a bit unrefined in his technique despite spending five seasons in college. Still, with his motor and traits, he could be a useful rotational edge player with the ability to contribute on special teams.

Round 7

7-231: WR Bub Means (Pitt): Means is a combine riser who tested well with a 39.5-inch vertical jump at six-foot-one, 212 pounds. He didn’t play his first two years of college, spending time at defensive back and redshirting at Tennessee in 2019 before transferring to Louisiana Tech in 2020. After a solid season with the Bulldogs, he transferred again to Pitt, where he recorded 1,122 receiving yards in two seasons.

The Pats take a flier on him as an athletic late bloomer with ties to assistant wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood.

In this mock, the Patriots start a new era on offense. Drake Maye is the quarterback of the future, and double-dipping at wide receiver, tight end, and tackle is the first step in providing him a supporting cast.

How would you feel about this draft? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.