This year’s title game features some intriguing talent on both sides.
With their disappointing 2023 season in the books, the New England Patriots are now officially in offseason mode. It remains to be seen who will lead them through their upcoming rebuilding process — Bill Belichick is no guarantee to return for a 25th season as head coach and de facto general manager — but they will have plenty of capital at their disposal.
With the Patriots finishing the year at 4-13, they are slated to select third overall in the draft and will also own a top-4 pick in every subsequent round. This gives them plenty of ammunition to address the holes on a roster full of them.
How they will do that is anybody’s guess, but it would not be a surprise to see at least one of the selections spent on a player taking the field on Monday night: top-ranked Michigan will meet second-ranked Washington with the National Championship on the line, meaning some of college football’s most intriguing talent will go at each other.
With that in mind, here are a few players Patriots fans should keep an eye on.
Michigan Wolverines
QB J.J. McCarthy: There is some uncertainty whether or not the junior will in fact enter the draft or stay in school, but if he opts to declare he will be an interesting option beyond the consensus top-3 at quarterback. McCarthy is still a raw player whose processing needs to improve, but he offers intriguing arm talent and athletic skills.
RB Blake Corum: With Rhamondre Stevenson entering a contract year, the Patriots might want to start thinking about the future at running back. If so, Corum might make sense as a Day 2 option. While on the shorter side at 5-foot-8, he offers the explosiveness, vision and contact balance to turn into a successful between-the-tackles runner at the next level.
WR Roman Wilson: Like his quarterback, Wilson also is a candidate to return to Michigan in 2024. If not, the 6-foot-0, 192-pound receivers projects as a Day 2 draft choice due to his combination of speed, body control and ability to create space at the top of his routes.
DB Mike Sainristil: Sainristil checks plenty of boxes for the Patriots, not just because he played high school football in Everett. He also offers plenty of positional flexibility: the former wide receiver currently is Michigan’s top cornerback but has experience all over the secondary. He also plays with a physical edge reminiscent of former Wolverine and current Patriot Jabrill Peppers.
Washington Huskies
QB Michael Penix Jr.: A finalist for the Heisman Trophy this year, Penix Jr. is coming off a spectacular season. While there are some questions about his injury history, age, and how his game will translate from the Huskies’ to an NFL offense, his talent is undeniable: he is a naturally gifted thrower who also has shown he can operate under pressure.
WR Rome Odunze, WR Ja’Lynn Polk, WR Jalen McMillian: Washington’s wide receivers are a big reason for the team’s success. Odunze is a legitimate WR1 in the making, and his combination of size, speed and production will make him a likely first-round selection in April. Polk and McMillian may not have the same star power, but they too will hear their names called relatively early in the draft: the former has shown he can stretch the field vertically, with the latter one of the top slot receivers in college football.
OL Troy Fautanu: The Patriots need all the offensive line talent they can get, and Fautanu certainly is an enticing player. While lining up at left tackle for the Huskies, the 6-foot-4, 317-pounder also might be an intriguing candidate to move to the interior at the next level.
ED Bralen Trice: There is a chance the Patriots will be without pending free agents Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings and Mack Wilson next year. But even if all or most of them are retained, Trice would make for an interesting addition as a high-motor outside linebacker capable of putting pressure on the quarterback from around the edge.
The National Championship between Michigan and Washington will be kicked off at 7:30 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on ESPN live from NRG Stadium in Houston.
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