The New England Patriots are possibly the most intriguing team to watch with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, while Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels are expected by most to go in the first two picks to the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, New England is seemingly set to take a quarterback as well, but seems open to the possibility of moving back.

“While Washington seems set on staying put and selecting a quarterback — as Jeremy said, most believe it'll be Daniels — at No. 2, the Patriots are legitimately considering all options with the No. 3 pick,” Dan Graziano of ESPN said. “They could absolutely stay at No 3 and take their favorite quarterback still on the board, but they've also made it clear they're willing to listen to offers from teams looking to trade up to that spot.”

Graziano went on to say that the teams involved could determine whether or not the Patriots move back from the No. 3 pick, saying that the New York Giants, who hold the No. 6 pick, might have a better chance of swinging a deal than teams who pick further back like the Minnesota Vikings or Las Vegas Raiders.

“The key thing to watch is how far back they're willing to go,” Graziano said. “Patriots ownership seems to have a strong preference to come out of the first round with a quarterback, so moving back to, say, No. 11 with Minnesota or No. 12 with Las Vegas might be too precipitous a drop for the Patriots to still ensure their ability to do that. But if they were to move back only three spots in a trade with the Giants, who pick sixth, they could still be in position to pick a quarterback in the first round and add multiple extra premium picks.”

It is interesting to see that a trade back is still in play for the Patriots, but they still want to come away with a top quarterback if they do so.

What is the Patriots' ideal trade back scenario?

While most would assume that the Patriots would pick Drake Maye at No. 3, a trade back and landing JJ McCarthy seems to be something that the organization would consider as well, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

“‘Common sense says the Patriots need a quarterback,'” Fowler said a team source told him. “My sense after asking aorund to several sources is that the Patriots have Daniels rated ahead of North Carolina's Drake Maye in the pecking order but still like Maye's upside. McCarthy would fall somewhere after that, though I was reminded Tuesday night to not totally discount Robert Kraft's affinity for Tom Brady, who might see shades of himself in McCarthy, a fellow Michigan product. The Patriots could trade back and acquire McCarthy with a later pick.”

A trade back with the Giants could net the Patriots McCarthy, but it is not guaranteed, as a team could hop ahead of them to the No. 4 or No. 5 spots to take him.

Needless to say, the first round could be very interesting on Thursday.