It's crunch time ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Here's who league personnel think the Patriots should take at No. 3.
By Faith Pinnow
The 2024 NFL draft class boasts a loaded group of quarterback talent. As many as six quarterbacks stand poised to go in the first round, with New England likely to select their next franchise signal caller at the No. 3 overall pick.
While USC’s Caleb Williams is widely projected to be the first off the board next Thursday, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and UNC’s Drake Maye come in close succession.
And despite the fast-approaching draft, Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf isn’t giving any hints as to how the war room will operate on April 25.
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During Thursday’s pre-draft press conference in Foxborough, Wolf said that while he doesn’t feel obligated to select a QB in the first round, he’s confident that there will be a quarterback on the board who is worthy of the No. 3 pick.
The Patriots welcomed both Maye and Daniels (along with Williams and Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy) to Gillette Stadium for an official 30 visit last week, however, league executives remain split on which top quarterbacks should slot into the second and third picks.
“If I had to put a guy on the field right now, I would side with the LSU kid (over North Carolina’s Drake Maye),” an AFC coordinator said, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
The Heisman Trophy winner possesses the athleticism and football acumen to make any scout salivate. The FBS leader in passer rating threw 40 touchdowns last season with just four interceptions (72.2 percent on passing).
“He looks like he’s more ready to digest an NFL game plan, go through progressions, make decisions on time, distribute the ball, and then he also has elite run skills,” the coordinator added.
As for Maye, the 21-year-old quarterback is the NFL quarterback prototype. However, his somewhat tumultuous record at North Carolina (UNC ushered in new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey just before the 2023 season) has led some scouts to doubt his pro readiness.
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“The best thing that could happen to him is to sit for a year, and then I think if he goes to a good spot and he learns — and it seems like he’s a good kid and he’ll do all the right stuff — he’ll ultimately have success,” a different AFC coordinator said.
There’s a handful of stories — particularly in recent years — of quarterbacks finding success after sitting their rookie year behind a veteran. Just as often too, a rookie quarterback is thrown in as a starter alongside an already-struggling roster, damaging his confidence and stunting his development (see: Mac Jones).
“If he had to go play early for a bad team, I think it might set him back and I’d be concerned about that. He’s more tools than complete player, to me, right now. He misses stuff that he shouldn’t, just in terms of accuracy. There’s stuff that he leaves out there that he needs to clean up.”
Still, before the Lindsey switch-up, Maye was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football during his 2022 sophom*ore season. He tallied 4,321 passing yards and 38 touchdown passes, even adding seven more touchdowns on the run. His numbers earned him a spot in the top 5 in FBS, before they dipped slightly in 2023.
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Wolf, touting a “draft and develop” system, could be ready to make a bid on the 2022 ACC Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year.
“To me, he’s perfect for New England (which holds the No. 3 pick) because they’ve got Jacoby (Brissett). I think he’d be perfect there to sit for a year. He is the biggest high-ceiling, low-floor guy. Because he’s immature. Not bad immature — he’s just like a kid,” an AFC assistant coach said.
Still, one longtime NFL personnel believes each of the projected first-round quarterbacks have the skill to start the 2024 season.
“They’re all different. They’re all good dudes. They’re all smart enough,” he told Pelissero.
Round one of the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on April 25 at 8 p.m.
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