New England Patriots: An early look at top 2021 NFL Draft needs
Look at the top 2021 NFL Draft needs for the New England Patriots
They have fought hard and played as well as they could, but the New England Patriots have struggled in their first season without Tom Brady. While they have not officially been eliminated, their loss last Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams makes a post-season birth extremely unlikely. Patriots’ fans are used to looking ahead to their Super Bowl path at this point of the season, but this year, it is fair to look further ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft.
It has certainly been a disappointing season for the New England Patriots, but they have found some interesting young players who will help them going forward. Offensively, running back Damien Harris, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and rookie offensive lineman Michael Onwenu have established themselves as important players for this team going forward. On the defensive side of the ball, guys like Josh Uche, Kyle Dugger and J.C. Jackson have done something similar.
There is talent on this roster, but the New England Patriots are far behind the legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the AFC. I am sure they will make some significant veteran additions over the offseason, but nothing is more important for this team than coming away with multiple impact players in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Where do the Patriots need to improve the most this offseason? Let’s take an early look at their top positions of need in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Quarterback
Finding a legitimate franchise quarterback to build around should the priority of the New England Patriots this offseason. Whether they will be in a position to land that player or not remains to be seen, but Cam Newton simply is not getting the job done and they need to look in another direction.
Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields will be well out of reach for the Patriots, but if they get aggressive, they may be able to get themselves in a position to land Zach Wilson or Trey Lance. Also, Mac Jones could be an option for the team in the middle of the first round. Jones has been great this season, has an NFL arm and throws the ball with great anticipation, but he may look like a reach for the Pats in the first round. Still, he is an interesting option.
If nothing else, the Patriots should take a chance on a quarterback in the middle of the 2021 NFL Draft. These guys rarely hit, but they just need some options. Someone like Desmond Ridder out of Cincinnati would make sense for Bill Belichick and company if they are looking to swing for the fences in the later rounds.
More than likely, the Patriots will look to solve their quarterback issues with another veteran. That being said, if they really want to look forward and set themselves up for the future, they should be attacking the quarterback position with a gifted prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft.