The Patriots’ plans with the third-overall pick are partly dependent on how the top-two selections unfold. However, it’s seeming increasingly likely that the organization will opt for a quarterback with their first-round pick.
According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, league executives believe the Patriots will take a quarterback at No. 3. While Kyed says the team won’t force the selection, it sounds like the organization’s top decision makers are in favor of drafting a QB.
The question is: which quarterback will the Patriots select? Since the Patriots won’t have their choice of QBs, we probably won’t hear anything definitive out of New England. Caleb Williams is the assumed first-overall pick, and Kyed believes the Patriots would love the opportunity to choose between LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye (in the scenario where the Commanders opt for Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy or another position).
If the Patriots do somehow have the opportunity to choose between Daniels and Maye, Kyed knows there are some members of the Patriots who are “fans” of the LSU product. This isn’t a complete surprise; Williams has never been a realistic option at No. 3, and there were rumblings that the Patriots weren’t particularly enamored with Maye. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Jordan Reid writes that the Patriots and Commanders were among the teams with the most representation at both Daniels’ and Maye’s pro days.
Many pundits have suggested the Patriots could look to move back in the draft. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe previously opined that the organization would still leave the draft with an early-round QB, even if they do make a trade. Kyed writes that the Patriots don’t believe there are five or six franchise quarterbacks in the draft, so if the team is serious about adding a future starter at the position, they can’t stray too far from the top of the board.
The Patriots have already moved on from Mac Jones this offseason, putting them in prime position to select a quarterback with the third-overall pick. The team brought in old friend Jacoby Brissett to keep the seat warm, and they’re still rostering Bailey Zappe in case they want to redshirt a rookie.