The 2024 NFL Draft is roughly a month away, which means the intrigue at the top is only beginning to build. Caleb Williams seems like a forgone conclusion to get selected first overall by the Chicago Bears, but no one really seems to know in which direction the next few picks will go. This has a big impact on the New England Patriots.
The Patriots have the third overall pick in next month's draft, but who they pick or will have available to select remains up in the air. They certainly have a glaring hole at quarterback and are in pole position to draft either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels, but whichever one of those two will be available for them is in the hands of the Washington Commanders, who have the second-overall pick. Maybe the Patriots trade back or throw a curve ball and select Marvin Harrison Jr.?
No one knows. But it is nice to have contingency plans, and the Patriots should make sure those three players are on the top of their board when they're on the clock.
Drake Maye (QB), North Carolina
Jayden Daniels is currently the betting favorite to go second overall on certain sportsbooks, so it seems appropriate to begin with Drake Maye. Maye was absolutely prolific during his two seasons as a starting quarterback at North Carolina. In those two years, he completed roughly 65% of his passes, averaged 8.4 yards per attempt, and totaled 7,929 yards and 62 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions. He's got a little bit of everything in his bag.
Posted plenty of other Drake Maye's throws on the TL, but here are others that I clipped.
Backshoulders, Go balls, replacing pressures, attacking the middle, progressing, throwing in tight pockets. Little bit of everything here. pic.twitter.com/BIiogC8w7B
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) December 27, 2023
Maye will have an adjustment to make once he enters the pros. Some have suggested that sitting for a season to get a better grasp of the NFL game and the fundamentals of being a pro quarterback would better suit him than starting right away. He doesn't track as someone who can step in the NFL and immediately shift the trajectory of a franchise the way CJ Stroud did last season.
But the Patriots are positioned to take it slow with Maye. They signed Jacoby Brissett in the offseason and he is a more than solid bridge quarterback. He can help show Maye the ropes as the Patriots continue to build a suitable roster around him. That would hardly be a bad plan for New England.
Jayden Daniels (QB), LSU
If the Commanders wind up selecting Maye, then Jayden Daniels would fall into New England's lap and be a great selection for them. Much like Joe Burrow before his Heisman season at LSU, Daniels was not really on NFL radars entering the previous college football season. But then the 2023 season happened. Daniels was flat-out special. He threw for 3,812 yards all while completing an astonishing 72.2% of his passes and averaging 11.7 yards per attempt. He added 1,134 yards on the ground for good measure too. Those are video game numbers.
Jayden Daniels is a special runner. These are all just from the Alabama game pic.twitter.com/5QDdUPeZDV
— obvlon (@obvlon) March 18, 2024
Not that Maye isn't mobile, but Daniels' mobility should help him be able to make an impact right away, especially with the current state of New England's offensive line. Whoever Washington doesn't take of those two should be who the Patriots wind up selecting third overall.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Wide Receiver, Ohio State
If the Patriots neglect the quarterback position and instead roll with a wide receiver, no one should blame them. Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the best wide receiver prospects to come out in recent memory. It's been a long time since the Patriots had a difference-maker like that in their wide receiver room. They've tried to draft one, but they simply haven't been able to hit.
New England's track record in drafting wide receivers is horrible. Though they've hit on late-round gems like Julian Edelman and last year with Demario Douglas, their draft picks at that position in the first three rounds have been wretched. One would have to go back to Deion Branch back in 2002 as the last successful wide receiver the Patriots selected in the first three rounds of the draft. The rest of the bunch consists of the following names: Tyquan Thornton, N'Keal Harry, Aaron Dobson, Taylor Price, Brandon Tate, Chad Jackson, and Bethel Johnson. Ouch.
They could put an end to that if they want with Harrison Jr. But, it would appear more likely than not that quarterback is the direction they choose. Regardless, Harrison Jr. is a special player and someone that needs to be on the Patriots' radar.
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