Patriots Mock Draft 1.0: New England Selects QB With No. 3 Pick

What are the Patriots going to do with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft? That’s exactly what we’ll try to answer in this five-part mock draft series. New England has options, so stick with us as we explore some possible outcomes ahead of April.

It’s become abundantly clear in recent months that the Patriots are in need of a change at quarterback.

Mac Jones was once viewed as the answer to New England’s problems, but did nothing but make them worse over the last two seasons. It got so bad, in fact, reports painted him as a “prima donna” that no one with the Patriots is interested in working with anymore. Bailey Zappe, after initially being cut prior to the season, was eventually tabbed as someone who might be able to keep the ship from sinking completely. That didn’t happen.

It’s clearly time for a change, and the first option we’ll explore in our mock draft series won’t take much maneuvering.

The Patriots select LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Daniels is widely viewed as the third-best signal-caller that will be available in April, so it makes perfect sense the Patriots make the easy choice and select him in that spot.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams and UNC quarterback Drake Maye each were viewed as first-round prospects entering the season, and they’ll almost certainly be the first two QB’s off the board, but Daniels is this draft’s biggest riser at the position. He won the Heisman Trophy, after all.

Daniels would bring something completely different to New England, as he’s the best dual-threat option available. He’s equally as impressive with his legs as he is with his arm, which could also be argued as one of the best in this class. If you want something new under center in New England, this is the guy.

That’s just the first selection in this mock, however. We made picks and trades (Mac Jones to Pittsburgh, anyone?) across all seven rounds, using PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator. You can find results, and our reasoning, below.

New England has far too many picks for us to explain the thought process beyond No. 3, but you can get an idea of where we’re headed in this one. The Patriots are in need of an offensive overhaul, so we attempted to aid Daniels by adding around him with four of our next five picks.

Xavier Worthy and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint are options that appear to be ready to immediately contribute at wideout, with the former serving as a big-play threat and the latter being one of the more consistent pass-catchers available. Blake Fisher and Christian Mahogany would start immediately on the offensive line, while Theo Johnson and Rasheen Ali are developmental prospects who can contribute in smaller roles as rookies.

The Patriots’ defense is fine, but Jaden Hicks would provide an immediate replacement for a potentially-departing Kyle Dugger. Jaylan Ford’s a great athlete on the second level who can play on special teams and Zion Tupuola-Fetui is a versatile option on the defensive line.

How do we feel about Daniels to New England, Patriots fans?