The Patriots reportedly spoke about a potential first-round trade with the Minnesota Vikings and the Giants, a pair of teams that stood to improve at quarterback entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
Adam Schefter, however, has a hunch that New York wasn’t eyeing a signal-caller when it negotiated with New England.
The Patriots reportedly didn’t come close to moving out of the No. 3 pick, and they used the coveted selection to take quarterback Drake Maye. But had the G-Men managed to pry the pick out of Brian Daboll’s former employer, New York might have made a surprising pick right after Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels went off the board.
“They talked to the Giants and the Giants — I don’t know if the Giants weren’t for Joe Alt at three as opposed to the quarterback,” Schefter said Monday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I know we’ve talked a lot about them. I think they wanted Joe Alt. That’s my suspicion based on things I’ve heard from people. It’s unconfirmed — I want to be very clear about that. But that’s what I believe. They wanted Joe Alt there.”
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Despite Daniel Jones’ limitations, New York apparently wasn’t in the quarterback market on Day 1 of the draft. After Marvin Harrison Jr. and Alt were selected fourth and fifth overall, respectively, the Giants could have landed J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix, a trio of signal-callers who were all picked inside the top 12. But New York took wideout Malik Nabers at No. 6, and no team felt compelled to leapfrog Daboll’s team on the board out of fear that it might take a QB.
So, Alt very well might have been the apple of the Giants’ eye on draft night. But now, folks in the Meadowlands will have to watch the Notre Dame product protect Justin Herbert in Los Angeles.
Featured image via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images
