NFL Draft Needs: AFC East
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz previews the biggest needs of the Bills, Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.
Video Transcript
JASON FITZ: We're taking a look at 2024 NFL Draft needs division by division. Let's examine the AFC East, where the Buffalo Bills now have a glaring need at the wide receiver position after trading superstar Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Now, good news for Bills fans is that this is a wide receiver-rich draft class, which means they'll have plenty of opportunities to hopefully replace Diggs, where they select near the end of the first round.
The problem is if you believed that the Bills were one or two players away from catching the Chiefs, simply replacing Diggs won't be enough to satisfy that need. Sticking in the division, let's look at the New York Jets, where they have an interesting choice to make themselves. Do they go with the dynamic playmaker? Where they're picking, particularly in the first round, and even in the second, they can address that.
Or do they go with the best offensive lineman on the board? Offensive line makes a ton of sense when you're trying to protect a quarterback that, let's face it, isn't exactly young. But I think we're all tired of the constant conversation about teams not giving Aaron Rodgers draft weapons. So, frankly, I kind of hope they do that just so we don't have to listen to the conversation.
The Dolphins have a very clear-cut need as well. As you look at Christian Wilkins no longer being a part of this team, it becomes clear that they're going to have to figure out how to address the interior defensive line spot. Good news, again, is that where they're picking in this draft, they should have plenty of options. And last but certainly not least, maybe the most interesting team in this year's draft in that division, New England Patriots selecting number 3 overall. Certainly, they could take a quarterback.
And this could be simple-- if there's a quarterback they love on the board that's available there that they think is a franchise-changer, this is a no-brainer. But you better be certain of it. And you better get it right, because the Patriots have a ton of holes. And they're going to be in a unique opportunity where they could simply trade down and pick up a ton of draft equity.
What is their approach? Do they look at solidifying the roster as a whole? Or do they look at solidifying the quarterback position? Because I find it hard to believe that a new coach wants to step into the huge shoes of Bill Belichick without any answer at the quarterback position in this generation of the AFC.