NFL Rumors: Patriots Expected To ‘Grill’ Jayden Daniels On This Topic

Eliot Wolf, Jerod Mayo and the New England Patriots are searching for their quarterback of the future. So when New England's brass meets (or met) with the top prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, it's going to get the most out of those conversations.

The Athletic's Chad Graff and Jeff Howe peeled back the curtain on how the meeting with one specific prospect, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, was expected to play out.

"As for Daniels, a league source said New England (and other teams) will likely have questions for the Heisman Trophy winner about his transfer from Arizona State and grill him on the whiteboard to see how quickly he can memorize plays since, as the source said, the offense he ran at LSU wasn't as complex," The Athletic wrote.

"They'll also be keen to see his weight considering his slight frame (he hopes to weigh in at 210 pounds or higher)."

Daniels is viewed among the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams projects to be the first player off the board, and many believe Drake Maye and Daniels will be competing to go to the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall. The Patriots then would have the chance to draft whichever of the three quarterbacks falls to No. 3.

The Athletic also reported New England "really wants" to use its third pick on a quarterback. The organization feels it's the best way to jump-start its rebuild.

Wolf, the Patriots de facto general manager who will have final say on draft night, sounded like someone who wants to select a signal-caller. Both Wolf and Mayo stressed the importance of toughness and leadership when speaking to reporters in Indianapolis. Mayo also told reporters he wants to learn how top prospects have dealt with past adversity.

Daniels reportedly was among the top prospects to have met with the Patriots on Wednesday.