It’s still unknown who the New England Patriots will select with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Kendrick Bourne seems to be happy with any of the quarterback options who might be available when it’s time for the Patriots to make their pick.
Bourne has evaluated the top quarterback prospects in the draft, he shared on the Money Down podcast. With Caleb Williams almost certainly to be drafted No. 1 by the Chicago Bears, two of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy will be on the board when the Patriots are on the clock as the Washington Commanders seem likely to draft a quarterback as well.
Bourne likes what he’s seen and heard about all three quarterback prospects in the weeks leading up to the draft.
“I’ve been big [on] Jayden, but after watching Drake — I haven’t really watched J.J. — they’ve been giving him the Josh Allen comparison,” Bourne said. “He is 6-foot-4, 225. He got that build. He got that structure to handle — I thought he was like 6-foot-2, maybe 200 [pounds]. Nah, they say he 6-foot-4, 225, like big dog.”
“He got something to him. I’m in between, bro,” Bourne continued. “I’m really in between. J.J., too. He got that winning mentality. He’s been through the hard work. [Jim] Harbaugh, Michigan, he just got that mentality. I’m excited, bro, and just accepting whoever comes in, building that relationship immediately.”
For much of the draft process, Maye and Daniels were seen as the next-best quarterback prospects after Williams. Many mock drafts have had the two quarterbacks be selected with a top-three pick as well.
However, McCarthy’s made a recent surge up draft boards. The Michigan quarterback has seemed to solidify himself as a top-10 pick and possibly a top-five pick as there have been rumors the Minnesota Vikings could trade up to draft him.
The Patriots have also been linked to McCarthy. Patriots director of scouting and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf “is pushing hard for McCarthy, and he believes he has as much upside as any quarterback in this draft, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reported
Patriots hosting Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
New England was on hand for the Pro Days of all three aforementioned quarterbacks, with Wolf, head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt being among the group of staffers from the team seen at each Pro Day.
With little time remaining before Day 1 of the draft, the Patriots are beginning to host some of the top quarterback prospects in Foxborough. Maye will meet with the team on Friday while Daniels is scheduled to make his voyage to New England on Monday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported.
It hasn’t been reported if McCarthy will visit the Patriots yet as part of top-30 visit, but one would imagine that he would likely make his way to Gillette Stadium at some point in the near future, too.
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