When the dust settles after the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe (and Trace McSorley) reportedly will be the only quarterbacks on the Patriots roster.
The leadup to the draft saw immense chatter surrounding Jones and the possibility of New England trading the young QB and/or drafting a potential replacement. Will Levis' recent visit to Foxboro, Mass., helped fuel the speculation, as did a viral trade rumor that first popped up on Reddit.
But the Patriots have no plans of trading Jones or selecting a quarterback Thursday night, according to NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran.
"After speaking to people today, I've said previously that over Robert Kraft's dead body would Mac Jones be traded, we could probably also include Bill Belichick," Curran said during Thursday's "Early Edition" episode. "I was told today that Bill Belichick does not want to trade Mac Jones. Robert Kraft we already know does not want to trade Mac Jones. The Patriots will not be trading Mac Jones in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Mac Jones will be here, and the Patriots will not draft a quarterback."
Curran left some wiggle room at the end of the segment, seemingly leaving the door open for a future trade involving Jones or the drafting of a quarterback after Round 1. Still, his notes about Belichick and Kraft indicate New England plans to stick it out with its 2021 first-round pick.
"All I'm telling you is they are not trading Mac Jones tonight. ... I can only tell you about what I can tell you about," Curran said.
The Patriots own the 14th overall pick in the draft, which starts at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night. You can click here to view our final mock draft.
