NFL Rumors: Patriots ‘Really’ Want To Do This With No. 3 Pick In Draft

The Patriots own the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and if they just stand pat, they will be able to take one of the consensus three best quarterbacks available.

According to one report, that’s what New England most likely plans on doing.

The Patriots have numerous holes on their roster and could accelerate their rebuild by turning the No. 3 pick into more assets, but The Athletic reported Thursday the team “really (wants) to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 pick.”

According to the report, the consensus within the building is that while there are multiple needs across the roster, taking a QB up top is “the best way to jump-start this rebuild and yield long-term success.”

The decision as to which quarterback New England would grab — presumably from a trio comprised of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels — is largely out of their control, assuming they don’t trade up. However, “the top available quarterback prospects appear to align with top (Patriots) decision-maker Eliot Wolf’s preferred QB traits,” according to The Athletic, citing several NFL executives outside the Patriots organization.

“I think it’s a really good year for quarterbacks,” Wolf told reporters this week at the NFL scouting combine. ” … One thing about the quarterbacks in this draft, specifically, that I’m excited about is they all look like they’re really tough guys which is obviously great at any position, but the quarterback position, especially. We have to determine who can handle being the quarterback of the New England Patriots.”

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As to which of the three will be available when New England goes to the podium for that third pick, that depends who you ask. ESPN’s longtime draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. published his latest mock draft earlier this week, and he had Maye dropping to the Patriots at No. 3. NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, coincidentally, also had Washington grabbing Daniels at No. 2 and Maye falling to the Patriots at three.

It’s obviously a huge draft for the entire Patriots organization, but it’s especially noteworthy for Wolf and new head coach Jerod Mayo. New England has made it no secret this week at the NFL scouting combine that it hopes to change some things in the first season in decades without Bill Belichick calling the shots. However, according to one report, it sounds like Belichick would have been on the same page when it came to that No. 3 pick if he were still in charge in Foxboro.