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

Round 2, Pick 34: Kiran Amegadjie, Tackle, Yale

The biggest issue with the 2023 Patriots was the offensive line. Whoever was taking snaps (Jones or Bailey Zappe) was under fire as soon as they got the ball and were forced to either run for their life or quickly throw the ball away. With the potential loss of Michael Onwenu and left tackle Trent Brown, the line is even worse as of today.

Tackle Kiran Amegadjie from Yale is a Day 1 starter for the Patriots. He's 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 318 pounds. He hails from the Ivy League, so there won't be any questions about his ability to grasp the team's blocking concepts. During his college career, he allowed only 11 hurries and one quarterback sack.

Amegadjie is an elite run blocker who wins at the point of attack and does serious damage in the second level. He shows a good understanding of angles in pass blocking and wins battles in the "phone booth" as they say. He is a bit mechanical in pass blocking and needs to be lighter on his feet.

Round 3, Pick 68: DJ James, Cornerback, Auburn

The 2024 season is the last one that Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones is under contract, and as mentioned earlier, JC Jackson will be a cap casualty, so the starting cornerbacks in 2025 both finished 2023 on the IR. The team could use every pick in the draft on the o-line, but in Round 3 they address cornerback depth.

DJ James from Auburn has good size. He's 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds. He started his college career at Oregon, playing 912 snaps and broke up seven passes, and snagging two interceptions. He transferred to Auburn for two seasons, where he saw action on 1,448 snaps, with 16 pass breakups and 3 interceptions.

He is a smart defender, who recognizes routes early and shows great instincts in defending them. He tracks the ball well and plays well in man or zone defense. He's a grab-and-drag tackler who will struggle to bring down running backs are bigger receivers. He also tends to get a little too handsy, which could lead to early penalties.