Patriots ‘Knew’ They’d Pick Drake Maye Long Before Draft Night

FOXBORO, Mass. -- The Patriots wanted Drake Maye all along, and at a certain point in the pre-draft process, they knew they were going to get him.

Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf, the two men tasked with making the final decision, made their way down to the media room at Gillette Stadium on Thursday and gave insight to the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Wolf was asked whether or not New England believed Maye could be gone at No. 2 and took almost no time at all to spill the beans that he'd been telling white lies for some time now.

"It wasn't really something that came up," Wolf admitted. "We knew a long time ago that Washington was going with Daniels so we were able to make our pick, and we're really happy about that."

How long is a long time?

"Weeks," Wolf said.

The Patriots knew for weeks that Maye was theirs for the taking? Did they already start printing jerseys? Did they make travel arrangements for his family?

It was somewhat of a startling admission, if not only for the fact we never would have heard as much out of Bill Belichick. It's a new era in New England, though, which will soon belong to Maye.