The New England Patriots didn't waste any time at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and reportedly already met with multiple top draft prospects.
Director of scouting Eliot Wolf on Tuesday gave an idea of what New England is searching for in a prospect, and head coach Jerod Mayo continued to preach toughness as a primary trait he's seeking in players. Wolf admitted it was a good year for quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft but also noted they had not met with any of the prospects prior to Wednesday.
The Patriots met with quarterbacks Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix in Indianapolis, according to the Boston Herald's Doug Kyed, who also added a meeting with Caleb Williams also was scheduled. They also met with wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on Thursday, according to MassLive's Mark Daniels.
Mock drafts heading into the combine had New England snagging either Maye or Daniels. NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah had Harrison to the Patriots at No. 3, but he also admitted if it were his choice, he'd go with one of the quarterbacks. It would be ambitious of the Patriots to trade up for No. 1, but they also seem to be doing their homework on the other quarterback prospects.
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New England can keep up with the Bill Belichick tradition of trading the third overall pick to acquire more assets, which still could put them in line for a quarterback. McCarthy could gain a lot more buzz after the Scouting Combine with his stock boosted to a top-15 pick. Nix also could boost his stock with a solid combine and might sneak into the first round depending on how quickly quarterbacks get taken.
It shouldn't be a surprise the Patriots are meeting with any potential player who could fall to them, but it nevertheless will get speculation going on how New England feels about the rest of the quarterback class outside of the consensus top three.
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