What to expect from each member of the Patriots’ 2024 rookie class
What can we expect from the 10 rookies on the Patriots’ roster in 2024?
The New England Patriots’ 2024 rookie class is carrying more weight on its shoulders than most groups around the league. For teams like the Patriots in the first year of a rebuild, the draft class (and UDFAs) can make or break the plan as a foundational group.
So far, so good for the Patriots’ 2024 rookies. All eight draft picks made the team, with two more UDFAs on the roster as well.
Still, that’s just the start. The franchise doesn’t need all 10 players to become All-Pros this year (as great as that would be), but progress is paramount.
What are the realistic expectations and ceiling for each of the rookies? Let’s take a look player-by-player.
QB Drake Maye
Maye’s expectations are the highest – and they should be. As the third overall pick, he was drafted to be the face of the franchise and lead the team to its first real success of the post-Tom Brady era.
That all won’t happen overnight. We already know Maye will start the season on the bench. It likely won’t happen immediately, but he should overtake Jacoby Brissett for the starting job at some point this season.
Once he does (and if he doesn’t, that would be concerning), it will be about him flashing that franchise quarterback potential. A rookie season like CJ Stroud had in Houston last year would be great, but the best rookie quarterback season of all time is more of a lofty goal than a realistic expectation – especially when factoring in the surrounding cast.
Instead, the goal should be for Maye to earn the trust of those inside the building and earn the confidence of those outside of it. Does he prove to the team he’s worth investing in fully moving forwards, in terms of external additions? And does he put enough on tape to entice free agents – particularly offense free agents – to want to join him?
WR Ja’Lynn Polk
While the expectations are highest for Maye overall, Polk has the best chance – and should have the most pressure – to contribute immediately. Based on his usage increasing over the course of the summer he seemed primed for at least a significant rotational role if not a starting role out of the gate.
As his role grows, Polk should become one of the most-targeted players in the Patriots’ passing game. He’s more of a chain-mover than a big play threat, and with that generally comes a more high-volume role. On top of that, his ability to be a factor as a blocker in the run game means he should be among the most-used receivers in the Patriots offense, potentially getting to the point where he leads the position in snaps played by the end of the season.
Predicting exact stats can be tough – especially without knowing how many games each quarterback will start. But with Polk, he’s going to prove himself in terms of total catches and first downs more than with total yards and touchdowns. If he’s consistently moving the sticks and helping the team march downfield, he’s doing his job. Think Jakobi Meyers, who was effective over his first few seasons in New England despite not scoring his first NFL touchdown until Year 3.
OT Caedan Wallace
The third and final of the Patriots’ top-100 picks, Wallace was the top addition this offseason at a premium position of need – tackle. Based on the way the team has practiced so far this week he looks like he’ll start the season on the bench, but it shouldn’t stay that way for long.
Wallace’s competition at his primary position of right tackle is veteran Chuks Okorafor, who struggled during the summer. The team has also used Mike Onwenu in that spot, but he’s shown in camp he’s more effective when playing guard. The team also mentioned potentially trying Wallace on the left side, but he got fewer and fewer reps there as the summer went on.
Ideally, Wallace will step in for Okorafor and/or Onwenu at some point this season, and solidify the right tackle position. If he can prove to be at least a capable NFL starter, things become much clearer for the Patriots next offseason. With right tackle and the interior set the team can focus on finding their left tackle of the future, hopefully setting themselves to have their two bookends locked in for at least the start of Drake Maye’s career.
G Layden Robinson
Robinson is the highest draft pick whose position could realistically be covered by veterans. If things develop in the way the Patriots are hoping at tackle and everybody is healthy, Mike Onwenu and Sidy Sow project as the starting guards.
That’s not life in the NFL though – things don’t go as planned. At some point, Robinson is probably going to have to play significant snaps (and probably start) at one of the guard spots. That could come as early as Week 1.
If he can hold up as a solid guard in that time, it would be a big development for a team scrambling at the tackle position. On top of that, if he looks like a long-term starter at the position it gives the Patriots more offensive line flexibility moving forwards, specifically allowing them to continue to play Onwenu at tackle if that’s what’s best for the full group up front.
As an early fourth-round pick at guard, the expectation should be Robinson at least competes for a starting guard spot. He showed flashes in camp that he can play at that level, now he’ll need to keep it going into the regular season.
WR Javon Baker
Baker had as rough of a summer as any of the rookies on the Patriots. After some flashes early he struggled with consistency throughout the preseason. Drops became a major issue and his reps at practice started to decrease. On top of that, Baker faced discipline from the team after roster cuts for an Instagram Live video related to a traffic ticket.
All in all, Baker is going to have to put in the work behind the scenes in order to earn more playing time on the field. In a crowded wide receiver room, that’s easier said than done.
If and when Baker does get on the field, it’s all about explosive plays. He’s not going to be a volume receiver, but if he proves he can get open downfield consistently enough that defenses have to respect him and can’t stack the box when he’s on the field, that would be an encouraging step.
CB Marcellas Dial
The lone defensive draft pick by the Patriots this year, Dial finds himself battling for snaps in a talented cornerback room. He also had a rough end to camp, and is likely at the bottom of that crowded depth chart.
If Dial does dress on gamedays this year, he’ll likely have to prove himself on special teams first. The Patriots’ cornerback depth has been tested quite a bit as the season has gone on the last few years, so it’s possible he could get some time on the boundary. While there are players ahead of him there, there’s no real clear-cut long-term answer for the second boundary spot opposite Christian Gonzalez, so there is room for him to expand his role if he does get a chance to do so.
It will also be interesting to see if the Patriots give Dial any looks at safety. He has the athleticism and tackling skills needed for the position, it would just be about seeing how his instincts translate. That would be something to watch for late in the year.
QB Joe Milton
How does Milton have a successful year on a roster where he ideally doesn’t play, with Drake Maye tasked with becoming the next franchise quarterback? Most of that just has to do with individual growth. If Milton doesn’t play in any games that development will take place exclusively behind the scenes, so we won’t be able to evaluate it until practices next spring.
That being said, Milton could still make an impact this year. Given his unique physical tools, the Patriots could consider putting in an offensive package for him that capitalizes on his arm strength and power as a runner that could be used in short-yardage or Hail Mary situations. Some of the heavy sets the team ran with Cam Newton come to mind, and some wide spread could be mixed in too to mimic what he ran at Tennessee.
TE Jaheim Bell
Bell will be a very interesting player to track this season, and see how his usage evolves as the year goes on. He’s not a traditional ‘Y’ tight end like Hunter Henry or Austin Hooper. His ability to make a difference is going to come in his formational versatility and ability to create with the ball in his hands.
With that unique skillset, the coaching staff is going to have a chance to get creative and carve out a specific role in the offense for him. A role like that usually builds over the course of the season, rather than being installed right away. Bell will also have to prove he’s up for those assignments in practice.
As a seventh-round pick and somewhat of a gadget player, the baseline expectations for Bell shouldn’t be that high especially to start the season. However, his upside is higher than the average seventh-round pick.
S Dell Pettus
Pettus is the only UDFA who was with the team throughout the spring, and made the roster. The Patriots have solid safety depth – especially in the box with Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers. Given that, Pettus’ defensive snaps will likely be few and far between, especially to start the year. Most likely, Pettus will have to make his mark on special teams this season.
LB Curtis Jacobs
Claimed off waivers last week, Jacobs joins the Patriots after spending the spring and summer with the Kansas City Chiefs, who signed him as a UDFA in the spring. Jacobs finds himself behind multiple entrenched veterans on the depth chart, so he’s another player that most likely will contribute mainly on special teams as a rookie.
