The Drake Maye era is officially underway. Not to mention, the Krafts have decided to clean house and fire Jerod Mayo. Incoming is former Patriot Mike Vrabel to being the next head coach of this franchise. He was not a bad coach for the Tennessee Titans and should immediately shift the culture for the Patriots. That’s not the only spot that needs work.

The Patriots finished 4-13 and have the fourth overall pick in the draft. While Vrabel has to assemble his staff, the team needs to start identifying which player they’ll grab at the fourth overall spot. Here is a Patriots wish list based on their immediate needs.

Patriots Draft Needs

Wide Receiver

Someone get Drake Maye some help. The Patriots struck gold and found their quarterback of not just the present, but the future as well. Now that they’ve locked down the most important position on the field, the Patriots need to get him some playmakers.

The Patriots have not been gifted when it comes to wide receivers. Part of that is absolutely drafting the wrong player, but also not being able to add at the position. This season, Hunter Henry led the way in receiving yards (674) and Austin Hooper being third on this list. To make matters worse, the entire wide receiver room combined for 1,600 yards. For context, Ja’Marr Chase alone had 1,700 yards. While there is great upside with Douglas and Bourne, the Patriots need more.

If they choose to pivot towards Tee Higgins, that’s a phenomenal way to spend the money that they have available to them. However, at fourth overall the best wide receiver in this draft will be available to them. His name is Tetaroia McMillan. McMillan would give Maye an immediate outside target and a premier playmaker for years to come.

He uses his big 6’4 frame to create space and is willing to go up and get the football. He is natural pass catcher and that’s precisely what the Patriots need. Also, they’ve could turn to the defensive side of the ball and build in the trenches.

Edge Rusher

The Patriots defense deserves more credit than it maybe gets. They have a good secondary that’s highlighted by Christian Gonzalez and Kyle Dugger. However, they need to build more in the trenches. The biggest area of need for the Patriots is edge rushing.

The Patriots finished with the fewest sacks (28), which is less than ideal. Having a formidable pass rush can help out the secondary and the rest of the units. There is a good set of skill that already exists on the defensive front with Keion White and Christian Barmore, but adding another element creates problems for opposing offensive lines. Let me introduce to you, Abdul Carter.

Carter is a standout edge rusher out of Penn State. Carter is extremely athletic and is explosive off the line. The way he is able to end around the line gives him that extra edge to making a standout play. He is not shy to bringing the boom and would be an immediate impact on the Patriots pass rush.

Carter finished the 2024 season with 68 tackles and 43 of them being solo. His 12 sacks was more than the two seasons prior combined. His year was historic, as he had 24 total tackles for loss. He surpassed elite company that’s in the NFL Today with Myles Garrett. Carter would make the Patriots defense much much better and the fountain of youth that’s already in place would be a fun group to watch.

Offensive Line

This one is pretty explanatory. Building in the trenches, but on the other side of the ball. The Patriots should look to protect their prized quarterback as much as possible. Ensuring he has more time in the pocket and time to get the ball to his playmakers. Should the Patriots take an OL at number four, it better be a player they love or that won’t be there when it’s time to pick. You can find good value in later rounds. But you look at the Chargers drafting Joe Alt at number five and that turned out very well.

Hearing From the Fans

Eric Burgess: Host of Between the Tackles. Follow him on Twitter (@tacklespod; @BurgTheGoalie)

Burg is very in the camp of not taking a wide receiver early. As always, you can find strong ones beyond the first round. Also, do not trade back unless it’s a kings ransom and instead take the best available player that fits your draft need. He believes in the areas of need above are the correct ones. However, the strongest push should be for edge rushing.

If he was the GM of the team and was making the selection, his top choice are Abdul Carter, Will Campbell, and Kelvin Banks. Either player immediately boosts the defensive front and gives the Patriots a backbone at the edge rushing position.

Joe Sher: Host of One Patriots Place. Follow him on Twitter (@1PatsPlace; @Ya_Sher1)

If they go WR it’s between Higgins and McMillan, those guys are both big outside X receivers.  So if you draft McMillan you don’t need to sign Higgins and vice versa.  Abdul Carter peaks my interest at 4 as well, you pair that skill set with Keion White and Christian Barmore you’re well on your way to having an elite front 7.

If they spend in FA on WR I hope they dedicate their draft resources to the tranches, which is what I think will happen because of the lack of talent on the OL in FA.

It’s going to be an exciting offseason for the Patriots, in what’s been filled with changes.