The New England Patriots hold the keys to the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 3 overall pick. Whether it's taking the third quarterback available after the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders take one with the top two picks, or trading back, New England is capable of flipping the draft on its head.
Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer spoke about the current situation with the top three teams in the draft and said it appears those teams aren't looking to move back. He also noted that at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Atlanta Falcons looked into moving up to the top three of the draft but didn't make any progress, which led to them pivoting toward signing quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Breer also singled out New England as a team that was steadfast in not moving back.
"It sounds like right now, the teams in the top three aren't willing to move," Breer said on NBC Sports Boston. "During the combine, [the Falcons] investigated moving up as part of their process and looking at cheaper options than Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield, and they basically hit a brick wall when they tried to get into the top three... The Commanders and the Patriots were unwilling to move. Now, that can change over time as teams go through their evaluation process but at least at the combine, the Patriots were a no when teams were looking to move up."
With the Minnesota Vikings acquiring a second first-round pick from the Houston Texans, they appear poised to move up to draft a quarterback. That ignited more speculation on New England being a potential trade partner with Minnesota if it chooses to move back to acquire more picks to fill its bevy of needs.
If the Patriots stand pat, it appears it'll come down to Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy, as Jayden Daniels has become the consensus betting favorite to get drafted No. 2 overall by Washington. Maye was the ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 after he threw for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and he ran for 698 yards and 10 scores. His numbers dipped slightly last season, as he threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions and ran for 449 yards and reached the end zone nine times.
McCarthy's numbers aren't as eye-popping as a result of playing in a running-heavy Michigan offense in the last two seasons. He threw for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions and ran for 202 yards and three scores last season. McCarthy's name has picked up plenty of steam as the draft process has gotten underway.
While a case can be made to trade back to acquire multiple draft picks to address their needs across the roster, the Patriots aren't going to be able to move forward with their rebuild until they get the quarterback position right. And with the No. 3 overall pick, now is as good of a time as ever for New England to find its franchise guy.
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