Patriots Take New Franchise QB In Field Yates’ First NFL Mock Draft

Until recently, the general consensus was the Patriots would need to settle for Jayden Daniels if they wanted to use the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on a quarterback. That is, unless they wanted to trade up to select Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.

But the tide might be turning. Multiple recent mock drafts have New England selecting Maye at third overall, and ESPN’s Field Yates continued that trend Wednesday in his first mock.

“The 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback is still 21 years old and has the prototypical build for an NFL passer,” Yates wrote. “Maye is a strike-thrower when targeting the middle of the field, but he also shows nifty pocket agility to extend plays and has 16 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons. As the Patriots embark on a new era under Jerod Mayo, they could build the new offense around Maye. New England finished last season 30th in yards per attempt (6.1) and 31st in Total QBR (31.6).”

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Patriots fans surely would be thrilled with that result.

Of course, there’s a long way to go until the draft starts Thursday, April 27. But we might be just a couple of months away from New England landing its next franchise quarterback.