NFL Rumors: Bill Belichick Had This Player On Top Of Patriots Draft Board

The New England Patriots have a franchise-altering decision to make just three picks into the 2024 NFL Draft.

And if Bill Belichick was still in command with New England, there reportedly was a specific player he was targeting with that pick.

NFL Media's Bridget Condon revealed Wednesday on "The Insiders" that Belichick was eyeing one of the top quarterback prospects and was ready to draft the next face of the franchise at that position.

"I can tell you based on conversations that I've had with people around the organization, Bill Belichick loved Jayden Daniels," Condon said. "He was a guy on the top of their draft board. He was going to do everything in his power to try to get that guy."

Daniels has been linked to the Patriots and met with the organization at the NFL Scouting Combine. Drake Maye is another top quarterback in the draft that could call New England home in the future, too.

But Belichick's preference at No. 3 overall raises a big question now for Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf, who revealed he has final say over personnel decisions.

"Does Jerod Mayo stick with that and say, 'OK, we're going to figure out how we get this quarterback in here,'" Condon said. "Or is he going to say, 'You know what, I'm now the man in charge, I'm going to do things my way.'"

Mayo is on record of trying to break away from the past and establish a new identity for the Patriots in the post-Belichick era. Wolf admitted that the Patriots have done away with Belichick's old scouting system in favor of a more simplistic one.

But just how far the Patriots deviate from how they've done things for more than two decades remains to be seen.

"Is he going to follow the footsteps of Bill Belichick or completely do his own thing?" Condon said.