NFL Draft Rumors: Commanders’ Lean Could Push Patriots On This Path

There is a clear consensus on how the top of the 2024 NFL Draft will play out, but the New England Patriots might have to play the waiting game before they decide what to do with the No. 3 pick.

NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah reported last Friday that there is a “strong expectation” that the top four picks will be quarterbacks. The question is what order will they be selected? Caleb Williams is expected to go No. 1 to the Chicago Bears, and J.J. McCarthy likely will be the consolation prize for anyone who couldn’t jump into the top three. All eyes will be on what the Washington Commanders do at No. 2 because that could dictate what the Patriots do at No. 3.

Washington signed Marcus Mariota and traded Sam Howell, but it’s still unclear whether it prefers Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer was on NBC Sports Boston on Thursday and revealed that the belief around the league is Daniels is the “leader in the clubhouse” to be selected with the second overall pick. Breer noted Daniels fits the skillset offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury looks for in a signal-caller.

That would put New England in a position to select Maye, who started to become a controversial prospect a month before the draft. Chris Simms ranked him as the sixth-best quarterback in the class. Dan Orlovsky believes the UNC product needs to sit a season. The Patriots reportedly “don’t love” the 21-year-old, but they also haven’t “shown an appetite” to trade the third overall pick; there are multiple teams who might be more enamored with Maye and could try to trade into the top three.

Things always can change when it comes to the Commanders’ direction with the No. 2 pick and how the Patriots feel about Maye and the No. 3 pick, but there will be continued intrigue with those picks as the 2024 NFL Draft draws closer.