The Patriots don't appear to be dead set on their plan for the No. 3 draft pick. New England really can't be, as its full slate of opportunities will depend on what the Washington Commanders do with the selection prior.
That said, if Jerod Mayo and company are looking to draft a quarterback in Round 1, we probably can narrow down the field of candidates.
In his latest NFL takeaways column for Sports Illustrated, Albert Breer included a Patriots nugget that offered some insight into how New England views the 2024 QB class.
"My sense is the New England Patriots haven't made up their minds yet on trading or sticking at 3," Breer wrote. "So, yes, personnel chief Eliot Wolf's going to take phone calls on the pick. And one really interesting piece of information I've gathered over the past week is that New England, to this point at least, has only allotted three of its 30 visits to quarterbacks."
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Those visits were scheduled with Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy, all of whom seemingly are legitimate candidates to be the second quarterback taken in the draft after Caleb Williams. It's telling the Patriots didn't arrange visits with Michael Penix Jr. nor Bo Nix, a pair of talented signal-callers who would be options for New England if moved down in Round 1.
To be clear, not taking deeper looks at Penix or Nix doesn't mean the Patriots won't consider them as potential draft picks. But as New England's draft preparation reaches its final stages, it sure seems like the franchise has zeroed in on its preferred QB options.
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
