NFL insider: Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy have ‘fans’ within Patriots building
"If it’s down to those two, my guess at this point is the team sticks at three and takes Maye."
The 2024 NFL Draft is well within sight now. And for the Patriots, it’s been months in the making.
Which player they’ll select with the third overall pick remains somewhat of a mystery – for a team with a lot of needs, the choice wasn’t initially obvious.
However, as the draft grows closer – with the first round kicking off on Thursday – experts and analysts agree that New England appears poised to draft a quarterback.
The choice will largely depend on what the Bears and Commanders do with their respective Nos. 1 and 2 picks. Chicago is projected to take top-ranked USC quarterback Caleb Williams with Washington likely following suit to choose a signal-caller.
And another added contingency? Whether or not the Patriots will pursue a trade down in exchange for picks.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer spoke with league scouting departments to shine a light on each team’s draft status just three days out from the draft.
“If [Jayden] Daniels is there, I’d bet they take him,” Breer said about the LSU Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Most reports have Daniels tagged with the Commanders, leaving Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and UNC’s Drake Maye as viable options for the Patriots.
“Both Maye and McCarthy have their fans in the Patriots’ building,” Breer said. “And if it’s down to those two, my guess at this point is the team sticks at three and takes Maye.”
According to Breer, the Patriots have a hefty scouting crew dedicated to the No. 3 overall pick. Alongside de facto GM Eliot Wolf and new head coach Jerod Mayo, Breer listed Alex Van Pelt, Ben McAdoo, T.C. McCartney, Alonzo Highsmith, Pat Stewart, Matt Groh, and Cam Williams as staffers who have a say in the choice.
“They’ve all had a voice as Wolf tries to pull together all of the information the team has compiled on Daniels, Maye, McCarthy, and [Michael] Penix,” Breer said.
It remains likely that the Patriots will choose to tackle their biggest need – quarterback – with the No. 3 pick. They welcomed all of the aforementioned quarterbacks to Gillette on official 30 visits, though Breer noted Penix was a late-addition invite in case New England decides to trade down.
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