Patriots Land Highly Touted QB In Latest ESPN Mock Draft

Drake Maye officially declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on Monday. Next stop, New England?

That's what ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller predicted in his latest mock draft, sending the North Carolina quarterback to the Patriots with the second overall pick.

Miller's rationale:

Much like Chicago, the Patriots need to start over at quarterback, especially since the entire organization could reset this offseason. Mac Jones' fifth-year option decision is also coming this offseason, and after he was benched for Bailey Zappe, all signs point toward a new QB1 in New England for 2024.

Maye is a powerful thrower at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, with the arm talent to stretch the field vertically and the mobility to threaten on the ground. There are times his ball placement can be inconsistent, but his supporting cast at North Carolina did him few favors there. Maye -- who is declaring for the draft -- has the traits of a true franchise quarterback.

Maye and USC's Caleb Williams are the consensus top two QBs in this year's draft class, with most analysts seeing a sizable gap between them and the next tier of signal-callers (LSU's Jayden Daniels, Washington's Michael Penix, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, etc.). And, as Miller noted, the Patriots have an obvious need behind center.

New England must find ways to improve at wide receiver and offensive tackle, as well, and this draft features some premier prospects at both spots. But the NFL is a QB-driven league, and the chance to draft a rare talent like Maye or Williams would be hard to pass up.

With the draft still 4 1/2 months away, the big question for now is where the 3-10 Patriots will land in the final order. They own pick No. 2 overall entering Week 15, leading the No. 4 Washington Commanders (4-9) by one game and the No. 3 Arizona Cardinals (3-10) by a strength-of-schedule tiebreaker. The 1-12 Carolina Panthers (who traded their pick to the Chicago Bears) have a stranglehold on last place.

The Bears, New York Jets, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans all scored upset victories over the weekend to improve to 5-8, giving New England a bit of extra breathing room at the top of the board. If the Patriots win one or zero of their final four games, they can finish no worse than fourth.

New England will host the 8-5 Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday at Gillette Stadium, then close out their schedule with games against the Denver Broncos (road), Buffalo Bills (road) and New York Jets (home).