2024 NFL Mock Draft: New England Patriots full 7-round projection in early February

Round 1, Pick 3: Marvin Harrison Jr, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

There will be a lot of discussion in the weeks leading up to the draft on what direction the team chooses to go with their highest pick since they took Drew Bledsoe with the first overall pick in 1993. The bulk of this discussion will center around whether to select a quarterback with this pick or Ohio State phenom Marvin Harrison Jr.

With team owner Robert Kraft being reported as the driving force behind Mac Jones not being benched sooner, he has shown his hand in regards to his feelings for the fourth-year quarterback. With no general manager, it's the Krafts who will be handing in the draft card, and it's likely that Robert chooses to get his favorite player more weapons than it is that he chooses to replace him.

Harrison is a monster at wide receiver and has been predicted as a top-5 pick since he was a freshman. One report had a local Ohio business offering $20 million to Harrison to stay in school one more year. He's 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds. He will run a 4.35-4.40-second 40-yard dash. He will have a 40-inch vertical and will be the top story at the combine and Ohio State's pro day.

In 2023 he was targeted 114 times and hauled in 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. That's 18.1 yards per reception. There are very few flaws in his game, as he has shown improvement every season in college. The Patriots bring him in, and they land the best receiver prospect in recent memory and will have one of the NFL's best receivers for the next four or more seasons.