Patriots’ Biggest Winners, Losers From First Round Of 2024 NFL Draft

FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots selected Drake Maye with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday, kickstarting their rebuild in grandiose fashion.

New England surely is pleased with its selection, but not everyone around One Patriots Place is coming away unscathed. Maye’s arrival is a monumental moment for most in the organization in just about every way, representing a significant change.

Is everyone looking for change? No, but there are plenty of folks who will find it to be a positive one. Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers to come out of Thursday for the Patriots.

Winner: QB Drake Maye
Did you see this one coming?

Maye experienced a moment he’d worked his entire life for Thursday, and you could tell exactly how eager he was to start working as he spoke with the media just minutes after receiving the call. He joked around as questions started flying, basking in exactly what it means to be the No. 3 pick. It doesn’t get much better than realizing a childhood dream.

Winner: QB Jacoby Brissett
Brissett’s not long for New England, but he sure does have a tremendous opportunity this season to serve as Maye’s mentor. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo made it abundantly clear that Brissett and Maye would be competing for the starting spot, and by winning out and keeping the kid on the bench for a while before graciously giving in and helping him develop, Brissett can make himself an invaluable commodity to teams in a similar spot next season.

Winner: Jerod Mayo
Mayo commanded the room Thursday. The Patriots made both he and Eliot Wolf available to the media after the Maye pick, and you’d have zero idea it was his first draft as a head coach. It won’t matter if the team doesn’t perform, but he’s looked the part so far.

Loser: QB Bailey Zappe
Does anyone think Zappe has a real role in New England anymore? He’s (somewhat understandably) been operating under the assumption that he’d receive and opportunity to win the starting job, but no one uttered his name Thursday.

He’s the odd man out.

Winner(s): WR Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn and Demario Douglas
Osborn is used to it, but Bourne and Douglas are about to have a legit QB slinging them the rock. It could take a while before Maye gets on the field, but his arm is something different from what this group has seen.

Winner: Eliot Wolf
Wolf got his guy. It only takes one wrong move to hit the other side of this list, though.

Loser: QB Drake Maye
Is there anything more stressful than being labeled as the future face of one of the most proud franchises in sports? We don’t think so.

New England kind of needs to get someone to protect his blindside, too.