One Quarterback Patriots Could Target In Each Round Of NFL Draft

The top priority for the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft is a quarterback.

Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed so himself. Owner Robert Kraft expressed similar desires when he said he hoped New England's draft decision-makers target a "top-rate quarterback."

And while it's widely expected the Patriots will draft their quarterback of the future third overall, both Mayo and Kraft also kept the door open on trading that pick. That would mean the Patriots do not target one of the consensus top signal-callers.

So if not, who could they draft?

We've highlighted one quarterback in each round the Patriots could target:

Round 1, No. 3: Drake Maye
For a long time this felt like a two-horse race between Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, the consensus top quarterbacks behind Caleb Williams. But the notable rise of J.J. McCarthy coinciding with the report Eliot Wolf is "pushing hard" for McCarthy has undoubtedly added him to the mix. Still, we're going with Maye here with the expectation Williams and Daniels are selected first and second overall, respectively.

Round 2, No. 34: Michael Penix Jr.
Should the Patriots trade back from No. 3 and address other positions in the first round (offensive tackle, wide receiver), Penix could make sense as a second-rounder. New England was represented at the Huskies Pro Day, but the franchise's perceived lack of interest in Penix has been perplexing. Penix is ranked No. 40 on Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 prospects and 46th on Pro Football Focus' big board. If Penix is still available at No. 34, it likely would mean he's the sixth quarterback off the board (Williams, Daniels, Maye, McCarthy and Bo Nix).

Round 3, No. 68: Spencer Rattler
Rattler landing in New England likely means Wolf and Mayo convince Kraft he is a top-rate quarterback with starting potential. For the Patriots to not address the QB position until the third round, it likely would mean they trade back with a team which has one first-rounder in 2024 and address two other positions with their new first-rounder and their own second-rounder. Rattler is ranked No. 70 on PFF's big board and No. 88 on Dane Brugler's top 100 prospects.

Round 4, No. 103: Michael Pratt
It feels like things would have to go awry for the Patriots to not address the quarterback position until Day Three. But that's what this exercise is for, right? Pratt, a product of Tulane, is an interesting prospect with measurables that closely align to what the Patriots have liked in the past, as pointed out by NESN.com's Keagan Stiefel. His arm strength limits what he can do vertically, but his fundamentals make him a potential starter down the road. PFF has Pratt ranked No. 89 while Brugler has snuck Pratt in at No. 100 in his top 100.

Round 5, No. 137: Jordan Travis
The Florida State product was in the running for the Heisman Trophy before he suffered a season-ending leg injury, which ultimately caused the Seminoles to be held out of the College Football Playoff. Travis has been lauded for his leadership and possessed mobility as a scrambler during his Florida State tenure. He's viewed as a developmental QB. PFF has Travis No. 132 on its big board.

Round 6, No. 180: Joe Milton III
Milton has a cannon for an arm, and can launch it some 70 yards down field. But his accuracy is far from consistent and decision-making was not always up to par at Tennessee. He's viewed as a Day Three project, but with rare arm talent. Milton was not ranked on PFF's top 150 list, but ESPN's Matt Miller and Jordan Reid projected he could be drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round (No. 200 overall).

Round 7, No. 231: Sam Hartman
Hartman relies more on accuracy than he does on his arm strength and velocity, which is why he could still be available in the seventh round. However, he is experienced after four years at Wake Forest and one at Notre Dame and possesses decent mobility. Miller and Reid mocked Hartman to the New York Jets in the seventh round.