Mel Kiper Jr. adamant about New England Patriots drafting a quarterback in first round

Mel Kiper Jr. wants the New England Patriots to select a quarterback in the NFL Draft. While appearing on Field Yates’ draft special on ESPN, Kiper talked about how the Patriots will have several quarterbacks to choose from in the first round.

“If you love Drake Maye, you take him. Heck with worrying about the roster stuff,” Kiper said. “You got to get the quarterback, it’s the most important position in any sport, quarterback in the NFL. Now, if you don’t love Drake Maye, and you don’t love JJ McCarthy, okay — and by the way, they’re the two 21-year-olds in this draft right? If you like maybe the older guys, Michael Penix Jr., 23 soon to be 24. right? Bo Nix’s already 24. Then you trade down, if you don’t love Maye or McCarthy.”

Kiper continued: “If you don’t love one of those two, you take him at three. You don’t, you trade down and you look at Penix Jr. or Bo Nix. One of those four, you gotta love. I mean, you’re in the division with Josh [Allen], Tua [Tagovailoa], and Rodgers [Rodgers], and the AFC with all these great quarterbacks, [Patrtick] Mahomes and [Joe] Burrow and Lamar [Jackson] and company. You got to get a quarterback.”

Drake Maye could be the pick for the Patriots

With the Patriots having the No. 3 pick in the draft, they could take former North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye since Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels will likely be taken at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. On the show, Yates talked about how impressed he is with Maye.

“He has an absolute howitzer for an arm, he’s an excellent athlete, he led North Carolina in rushing yards back in 2022,” Yates said. “…Quarterbacks lose rushing yards for sacks taken in college. To lead your team in rushing yards is a tremendous accomplishment for a guy who, by the way, also set the single-season passing touchdown mark for North Carolina as a redshirt freshman who was, at the time, just 19 years old.”

The Patriots have been looking for consistency at the QB position since Tom Brady left once the 2019 season ended. The team went with Cam Newton in 2020 and then drafted Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 draft. Jones started 42 games in three seasons, won 18 games and led the Patriots to the playoffs during his rookie season. Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars last month.