NFL Draft Rumors: Patriots ‘High On’ Second-Tier QB Prospect

The Patriots seem to only have a pair of options with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It’s just a matter of which one they feel most comfortable with.

New England will either take a quarterback or trade back.

It’s the worst time of year to take reports at face value, but we’ve received a pretty good sense of that over the last few months. Jayden Daniels and/or Drake Maye will be available by the time the Patriots are on the clock, and there reportedly is comfort around the building in drafting either one. New England could shift, though, electing to accumulate picks and target someone later in the first round like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. That seems to be what Robert Kraft would prefer, anyway.

Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo, who ultimately will combine to make the final decision, are keeping their options open, though. ESPN’s Dan Graziano revealed as much Wednesday when he floated another name that could be of interest to the Patriots.

“Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. was among the quarterbacks with whom the Patriots visited in the pre-draft process, and people I’ve spoken to say that visit was to gather information on the lefty quarterback in case they decided to trade down,” Graziano relayed. “I believe they’re high on him, though I don’t think he’s a consideration if they stay at No. 3.”

You wouldn’t have known that much a few weeks ago, but as is often the case in April, reported “interest” seems to pop up out of nowhere.

The Patriots hosted Penix on a pre-draft visit at Gillette Stadium, but that was after their only prior contact with him came in the form of sending one high-level scout to his pro day. It was never reported they’d met with him at the Senior Bowl or NFL Scouting Combine. It’s highly unlikely that New England would wait so long to show interest in a quarterback, but crazier things have happened.

If there’s a trade made at No. 3 on Thursday, perhaps Penix is the guy New England will shift its focus toward.