3 Best Remaining Free Agents the Patriots Can Still Sign After the Draft

It feels impossible, but the departure of Bill Belichick and the drafting of Drake Maye with the 3rd overall pick have seemingly been overshadowed by the roast of Tom Brady on Netflix. That may be the most talked about Patriots-related content of the offseason.

But the Patriots have a rookie quarterback to support. They need to make sure that Drake Maye is set up for success early on, because he allegedly fell out of the top two picks because he was deemed to be too raw in some areas compared to Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, who went with the top two picks.

Drake Maye has talent, but the Patriots lack a little bit in that department, especially offensively. This team needs to be active in the post-2024 NFL Draft free agency market, and there are players who could help them.

1. Dalton Risner, OL

It's a shocker that Dalton Risner is still available as a free agent after what he did last year for the Minnesota Vikings.

The fact that Risner lingered as a free agent in the 2023 offseason wasn't overly surprising given there may have been concerns with him after he violently shoved Broncos backup QB Brett Rypien -- his own teammate -- in a scuffle on the sideline of a Christmas Day blowout vs. the Los Angeles Rams.

But once Risner signed with the Vikings, he quickly made left guard Ezra Cleveland expendable, and didn't allow a sack over the course of the regular season. He was stellar in pass protection for the Vikings, and remains available after the 2024 NFL Draft. He could be a massive help to the Patriots' offensive line depth overall.