Big Change Bodes Well For Patriots’ Hopes Of Landing No. 1 Pick

All signs point to the Patriots starting Drake Maye on Sunday, which wouldn’t help New England in its pursuit of the 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick.

However, Jerod Mayo and company might have an early hook planned for the rookie quarterback in the all-important Week 18 game.

In the lead-up to the Patriots’ season finale, Mayo did not outwardly commit to Maye as the starter for the matchup against the Buffalo Bills and also revealed Joe Milton III could make his debut at Gillette Stadium. It’s unclear how exactly the Patriots will utilize their signal-callers Sunday, but recent practice structure indicated Milton will have his name called at some point.

“This week was different for Patriots rookie quarterback Joe Milton III. For the first time this season, he took repetitions in practice usually given to the starter or backup,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday.

No disrespect to Milton, but playing him would increase New England’s chances of losing to Buffalo and in turn, securing the top draft pick. Even against a Buffalo defense that likely will be pieced together with backups, Milton probably would struggle to light it up with a Patriots offense that’s struggled to execute all season.

But if Milton manages to perform well and helps New England win, it could be detrimental to much more than the team’s draft slot.