NFL Rumors: Patriots ‘Not a Slam Dunk’ to Draft QB at No. 3 amid Drake Maye Buzz

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVApril 6, 2024

Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The New England Patriots may throw the first big curveball of the 2024 NFL draft, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The conventional wisdom is that the Patriots will use the No. 3 pick on a quarterback given their glaring need for one. However, Fowler reported on SportsCenter they’re “comfortable with [Jacoby Brissett] as a bridge starter playing some games next year regardless of what they do at quarterback” and that “it’s not even a slam dunk they take a quarterback right now.”

“I have talked to a few teams that are drafting in the top 10-12 that wonder if the quarterback they want isn’t there at No. 3 do they just take a Marvin Harrison Jr., stockpile some picks,” he said.

New England just hosted North Carolina’s Drake Maye and will welcome in LSU’s Jayden Daniels, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported it’s unclear how the franchise views either at the end of the day:

Ian Rapoport @RapSheetFrom @NFLTotalAccess: The #Patriots hosted UNC QB Drake Maye today. pic.twitter.com/VpuefPLe3X

NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran painted a slightly different picture than Fowler when he reported Thursday on the Patriots Talk Podcast that New England could be holding out for more than three first-round picks to trade back.

The Pats were placing such a high price tag on a deal “because they as a team collectively understand the opportunity that these three quarterbacks represent at the top of the draft,” per Curran.

That would seemingly point to an internal belief that whoever is available at No. 3 is worth building around as the franchise quarterback, whether that’s Daniels, Maye, or perhaps Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.

Both the Patriots and Washington Commanders are sitting pretty right now.

They each have a straightforward path to landing their QB of the future, and few would bat an eye if Daniels and Maye go second or third in whatever order.

The expected run on quarterbacks also adds to the desperation level for the teams outside of the top five. The New York Giants (No. 6), Minnesota Vikings (No. 11), Denver Broncos (No. 12), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13) are all left to ponder whether they can afford to stand pat because someone else might leapfrog them. Agreeing to a trade with New England or Washington solves that issue.

From the Patriots’ perspective, it appears they’ve cast a wide net in terms of their scouting so they will have plenty of targets in mind if they effectively move out of position to get a quarterback.