Why the Patriots drafting a QB with No. 3 pick is reportedly the ‘most likely scenario’
If the Patriots select a quarterback, they'll likely draft one of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or J.J. McCarthy.
The 2024 NFL Draft is only days away and it appears the Patriots are forming some idea of what they plan to do with the No. 3 overall pick.
The “most likely scenario” is that the Patriots stand pat and select a quarterback, ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in his Sunday notes column.
As the Patriots reportedly lean toward picking a quarterback, that decision isn’t much of a surprise. However, Patriots director of scouting and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf told reporters at the team’s pre-draft press conference that the team was “open for business” on trades, including possibly moving the No. 3 pick.
But new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and other top team decision-makers have “privately acknowledged that their legacies will be tied to whatever they decide at quarterback,” according to Reiss.
“You can’t win without a quarterback,” a Patriots source reportedly told Reiss.
Wolf’s immediate future could be tied to what he does in the draft. He reportedly hasn’t been guaranteed to keep the job as the team’s chief decision-maker on the roster beyond the draft.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft also told reporters at the NFL’s league meetings in March that while he’ll let the team personnel make the decision, the fan in him would like to see them draft a quarterback.
“In the end, I’ll let the team make the decision what they think is best,” Kraft said. “One way or another, I’d like to see us get a top-rate, young quarterback.”
If the Patriots stick with the plan to draft a quarterback, the likely options are LSU’s Jayden Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye, and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. New England sent heavy contingents to all three quarterbacks’ Pro Days and hosted them in recent weeks as part of top-30 visits.
It’s almost a certainty that one of those three quarterbacks won’t be on the board when the Patriots are on the clock. The Commanders are likely to draft a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, with most reports suggesting that it’ll be Daniels who’ll be Washington’s selection.
So, that would probably leave the Patriots to make their decision between Maye and McCarthy. There have been several rumors and reports about the team’s interest in both quarterbacks during the draft process, with one report in early April even suggesting that Wolf is a big fan of McCarthy.
All the rumors will finally be put to the test this week. The 2024 NFL Draft begins Thursday.
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