Patriots' 6 Biggest Priorities After 2024 Minicamp

The 2024 season is going to be a year of transition and evaluation for the New England Patriots. Although this is a fan base that has been one of the league's best for the majority of the last 25 years, the Patriots are now going through the same type of overhaul most NFL teams go through much more frequently.

Jerod Mayo has taken over as the Patriots' head coach for the departed Bill Belichick. Former first-round pick Mac Jones has been replaced by new first-round pick Drake Maye at the quarterback position. The roster is a work in progress and the Patriots shouldn't necessarily be expected to be the 2024 version of last year's Houston Texans.

Never say never, but this team has a lot to work on. What are the top priorities now that minicamp is in the rearview and training camp is on the horizon? Let's take a look at some of the major storylines for this team.

1. Drake Maye's development

Whatever this looks like for the Patriots, there's absolutely no question that the number one priority for New England right now is the development of third overall pick Drake Maye. That is the top priority even over "winning now". The Patriots have to fixate themselves on winning "from now on" and whatever is best for Drake Maye's development is what they need to do.

If that means taking fewer reps in training camp and giving way to Jacoby Brissett as the starter, then so be it. If it means having Maye take his lumps and take all the first-team reps, then that's what it has to be.

The Patriots simply can't afford to get this one wrong. It would set the franchise back tremendously. They obviously failed with Mac Jones, so whatever needs to be done to prioritize Maye's development moving forward is what the Patriots need to do.