Patriots Mock Draft 3.0: New England Nets QB, Multiple First-Rounders

What are the Patriots going to do with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft? That’s exactly what we’ll try to answer in this five-part mock draft series. New England has options, so stick with us as we explore some possible outcomes ahead of April.

Mock Draft 1.0 | Mock Draft 2.0

If the Patriots leave the 2024 NFL Draft without a potential franchise quarterback, it’ll be an abject failure.

It’s just hard trying to forecast which guy they might be interested in.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels seems to be the least divisive option, which is why it was fairly easy just selecting him with New England’s top pick in our first mock. Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields looks like the most divisive option, but we went ahead and obtained him in our second mock anyway. Those moves didn’t help us obtain any significant draft capital for the future, though.

That’s what we tried to do here, and what do you know, we ended up with a guy some people absolutely love as a prospect.

The Patriots make three trades in the first round, net the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, two first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and five more picks across 2024 and 2025.

New England then selects Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

If the Patriots walk away from this draft with a pair of extra first-round picks, they could walk into next season with Jacoby Brissett as their only option and we’d call it a win. If they can do that and draft McCarthy, we might see people celebrating in the streets of Foxboro, Mass.

The New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos all skip over McCarthy in this mock, which feels like a near impossibility in reality.

Daniels ended up with the Los Angeles Rams after they traded for our No. 15 pick, which might mean we got a little greedy, but an extra second-rounder might be worth it for the Patriots if they truly love McCarthy.

We did our best to make his life a little easier with the remainder of our picks, which span across all seven rounds using PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator. You can find the results, and our reasoning, below.

If you like offense, you’ll probably still find a way to hate love this one!

The Patriots double dip at every offensive position in this scenario, and by throwing money at the ever-growing pool of defensive talent in free agency, they opt for the quickest rebuild possible. Michael Onwenu and Hunter Henry ideally return if New England takes this route, giving the crop of rookies some time to develop behind them, as well.

Joe Milton III was selected late in this mock, as we stayed true to our belief that the Patriots need to completely remake their QB room. He joins his former teammate, McCarthy, and a veteran signal-caller.

Adonai Mitchell and Malachi Corley would walk into Gillette Stadium and immediately become the Patriots’ top two options, with DeMario Douglas serving as essentially the only wideout that has job security around those parts.

Isaiah Davis is someone who fits what New England typically looks for out of a running back and gets a year to develop behind Rhamondre Stevenson. Dylan Laube can immediately spell Stevenson on passing downs and be a security blanket for McCarthy.

Patrick Paul and Matt Goncalves probably need a year before competing to be a legitimate option at left tackle, but either one could be the right tackle tomorrow if Onwenu opts to sign elsewhere. They’ve got plenty of upside, though, so there’s no sense in capping them on the right side. Brandon Coleman is a versatility option, with the ability to play both tackle and guard. The Patriots’ defense is fine, but if you want to replace Coleman with a special teamer, go right ahead and do it in your brain.

If New England can grab Ben Sinnott and Theo Johnson, it might just end up with the best tight end group in the NFL by 2025. They’re that good.

How do we feel about this mock, Patriots fans?