The Patriots are set to pick third overall in April.
Super Bowl LVIII is in the books, meaning that the entire NFL is now on to the offseason. This means that all 32 franchises, including the newly-minted world champion Kansas City Chiefs, will now soon turn their attention to the key dates that lie ahead.
One of the most prominent among those is the NFL Draft set to take place in Detroit in late April. Arguably the marquee offseason event will see the New England Patriots hold the third overall selection, a consequence of their disappointing 4-13 record in 2023.
While there is still plenty of potential for change due to compensatory selections and trades, the basic order of draft picks this year is now set. The final question — who will pick 31st and 32nd — was answered with the Chiefs’ 26-23 overtime win versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. As a result, the full 2024 draft order now looks as follows:
The Patriots picking third overall has already been known for some time now. The draft order for the league’s 18 non-playoff teams, after all, is determined as soon as the final whistle is blown on the last game of the regular season.
The big unknown from New England’s point of view is what they will do with their highest selection in three decades, and the other six picks currently in their possession. The team is in dire need of upgrades at key positions such as quarterback, offensive tackle and wide receiver, and it has the resources to address all of those spots both in the draft and in free agency.
As far as the team’s draft capital is concerned, the Patriots are currently projected to own the following selections in this year’s draft (via Over the Cap):
- Round 1: 3rd overall
- Round 2: 34th overall
- Round 3: 68th overall
- Round 4: 104th overall*
- Round 5: 136th overall*
- Round 6: 182nd overall*
- Round 7: 229th overall* (via Chicago)
*denotes unofficial selection
As can be seen only the Patriots’ first three selections are official at this point in time. That number changing through the league’s compensatory process is considered unlikely, meaning that trades will be the only way for New England to improve its capital even further.
That said, its current value of 819 points on the Rich Hill draft value chart already ranks near the top of the league.
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