The Patriots will have their choice of one of the top quarterbacks in the 20224 NFL Draft if they stay at No. 3, and even the players admit it’s not an easy choice.

Caleb Williams is expected to go first overall, which means the Commanders will have their choice between Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye. ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed Thursday that Washington likely will lean toward Daniels, which would leave either Maye or J.J. McCarthy, whom director of scouting Eliot Wolf reportedly is “pushing hard” for the third overall pick, for New England.

The Patriots are doing their homework on all the top quarterback prospects, and players like Kendrick Bourne and Matthew Judon made it known they were fans of Daniels early in the draft process. However, Bourne seems to be doing his own research on the top prospects, which he revealed on “The Money Down” podcast with former NFL players Warren Herring and Sojourn Shelton and former Patriots running back James White.

“I’ve been big Jayden, but after watching Drake — I haven’t really watched J.J. — they’ve been giving him the Josh Allen comparison,” Bourne said on “The Money Down” this week. “He is 6-foot-4, 225. He got that build. He got that structure to handle — I thought he was like 6-foot-2, maybe 200. Nah, they say he 6-foot-4, 225, like big dog. He got something to him. I’m in between, bro. I’m really in between. J.J., too. He got that winning mentality. He’s been through the hard work. (Jim) Harbaugh, Michigan, he just got that mentality. I’m excited, bro, and just accepting whoever comes in, building that relationship immediately.”

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If New England does draft a signal-caller with the third overall pick, it also needs to draft support for that QB. But Bourne would be a good veteran to lean on, and it could bode well for the Patriots coaching staff that he seems to like the top prospects.

The Patriots always could trade back and accumulate more assets. If they do draft Maye, fans will at least know one wide receiver who will be a fan of the pick.

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