With just over a week remaining until the 2024 NFL Draft and the general expectation being that Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels will go in the first two picks to the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, many expect the New England Patriots to decide between either taking Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy or trading down from the No. 3 pick, and Peter Schrager's new mock draft indicates that they might be leaning towards the North Carolina quarterback.
“Despite lots of smoke that New England could trade down, I believe this new Patriots regime will be comfortable with either Jayden Daniels or Maye,” Schrager said. “Pats brass took Maye out for steaks the night before his Foxborough visit earlier this month, and those guys loved the Charlotte native. That said, they also loved their top-30 visit with Daniels. I think they're fine with whichever one falls to them. New England also wined and dined QB JJ McCarthy on Monday night, but I still see this selection being Daniels and Maye.”
If Schrager is right that the Patriots are comfortable drafting either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, his mock makes a lot of sense, despite the team doing due diligence on JJ McCarthy and even Michael Penix Jr.
For a while, Maye was viewed as a prospect that is up there with Caleb Williams, but over the last few months, he has been picked apart a bit. There are some bad misses on film, but there are also some wow plays as well that show the potential of Maye at the NFL level.
Who is making decisions for the Patriots?
Due to the Patriots moving in a new direction with Bill Belichick departing as head coach, it is unknown who is really in control when it comes to offseason decisions and draft picks.
With the departure of Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo is taking over as head coach. Belichick was in control of the drafts for the Patriots, but would be surprising if Jerod Mayo had that much control as a first-time head coach.
That brings in Eliot Wolf, who is the de facto general manager for the Patriots, and he undoubtedly has an important voice in the Patriots organization, even if he is not the one with full control. He likely has a very influential voice in the room.
Lastly, there is owner Robert Kraft, who could very well be the one who makes the final decision on draft night, whether that is picking a quarterback or trading back.
For these reasons, the Patriots might be the most intriguing team to watch on draft night. They have a completely new structure as an organization, and we do not really know how they operate as of yet. Draft night will be very telling.
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