Patriots Select Five Players on Day 3 (4/27/24)

With the 103rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Texas A & M offensive guard Layden Robinson. Just like Caedan Wallace for Penn State, Robinson only allowed one sack for the Aggies all season in their first year in the SEC. He was second team all-ACC in 2021 and last season. If Jerrod Mayo and Eliot Wolf didn't think Cole Strange was good enough, they might have drafted his replacement. Or at very least he could be a good backup.

                                                       Good luck to Robinson

With the 110th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft they got from the Los Angeles Chargers, the New England Patriots selected Central Florida wide receiver Javon Baker. He started in Alabama but transferred to UCF. He had 52 receptions for 1,139 yards and 7 touchdowns in the 2023 season. He had a bunch of drops but the Patriots are baking on his receptions being his contribution to this fall's team.

                                                Does he know any of these plays?

With the 180th pick in the draft, the Patriots selected South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial. Dial knocked down 31 passes and picked off three balls with the Gamecocks also winning the Overcoming Adversity Award. The Patriots need insurance in case Christian Gonzalez gets hurt again and someone like this could play on special teams as well.

                                                              Possible nickel corner

With the 193rd pick in the draft, as in the pick they got in the trade for Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Patriots selected quarterback Joe Milton from Tennessee University. He has a cannon arm and he's a big guy at 6 foot 5 but spent six years at college. He spent 3 years at Michigan going 2-3 as a starter than transferred to Tennessee where he was Orange Bowl MVP in 2022. Mel Kiper says he's got the strongest arm in the draft so how did he fall so far? We're going to have a quarterback controversy as now they have Maye, Brissett, Zappe and Milton. That's the good kind of competition where they'll be playing for their lives. In essence the Patriots traded Mac Jones for Joe Milton.

                                                      Milton is a big dude

The final Patriots pick in the 7th round came at 232 and they selected Tight End Jaheim Bell out of Florida State. He is a dual threat as a receiver and a runner for South Carolina before he transferred to FSU. He had 95 receptions for 1,260 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns while picking up 84 carries, 303 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Patriots needed a tight end to go with Hunter Henry and hopefully he'll be useful.

                                                         Can catch and run

All in all the Patriots addressed their needs and got some much needed depth. Robinson and Baker will definitely give the established receivers and lineman some competition and Bailey Zappe's days might be numbered with Joe Milton in camp. Who knows what Bell is capable off but we won't know for real until August. Dial is the wild card of the group, he may be good but he may not. Unless the Patriots pick up some free agents out of nowhere during training camp, they're going to be a young team next year. If Mayo can keep the defense relatively close to what it was last year, with an improved offense at least the Patriots will be watchable this coming fall.