Patriots Have Obvious Path After NFL Experts’ Latest Mock Drafts

There's been a lot of chatter about what the Patriots should do with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but the answer might have been made for them after top experts released their post-free agency mock drafts.

Daniel Jeremiah and Mel Kiper each had New England selecting a quarterback. Jeremiah still had the Commanders selecting Drake Maye, so Jayden Daniels went to the Patriots, and Kiper had the LSU product going to Washington, so New England took Maye.

The Patriots have the option to trade the No. 3 pick, and Jeremiah was "sure" they would get plenty of calls. The Minnesota Vikings are a prime candidate considering they have the resources and their connections to Maye.

However, Kiper and Jeremiah went bold in their post-free agency mock drafts when they each had a fifth quarterback in the first round. The ESPN draft guru had Bo Nix to the Denver Broncos at No. 12, and the NFL Media draft analyst had Michael Penix Jr. to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 13. Those picks came following the expected route of four quarterbacks in the top 10.

If Nix or Penix did become first-round choices, that leaves slim pickings in the rest of the draft. Joe Milton III and Spencer Rattler are intriguing prospects who still could give New England upside if it chose to trade back and gamble on a late-round quarterback.

But it's a scenario it shouldn't overthink. There are more concerns around Maye, who could need a season to acclimate to the NFL, but the potential to become a franchise quarterback still is there. Daniels is seen by multiple draft analysts as the second-best QB in the class behind Caleb Williams.

The Patriots had an underwhelming first week of free agency, and the roster isn't talented enough to support a rookie signal-caller. There is concern New England falls into the trappings it fell under Mac Jones where not enough was done to support him. The idea of trading back is to accumulate more assets to actually build a competent roster.

However, all roads should start at quarterback. If this draft is as loaded with talented pass-catchers as is projected, the Patriots can build their offense from scratch with the draft. It's a risky proposition and an arrogant path to think you can draft perfectly to cover the failings of free agency. But the opportunity to draft a franchise QB doesn't come around every year, and it's even riskier to think you'll be in this position again.

If there is going to be a QB frenzy as Kiper and Jeremiah seem to believe, the Patriots should stay at No. 3 and wait and see who falls to them between Maye and Daniels.