Eliot Wolf seemed to lay the foundation for the New England Patriots to take a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft when he spoke with reporters on Thursday. However, he also didn't shut the door on the possibility of trading the pick, either.
Wolf, the Patriots' director of scouting and de facto general manager, shared that the team is “open” to trading their top draft pick, via NBC Sports Boston.
“Ongoing,” Wolf said when asked how trade talks are going. “We’re open to anything. Moving up. Moving down. We’re open for business in the first round and in every round. We have some holes we feel like we need to fill in the draft.”
“We’re a draft and develop team,” Wolf continued. “The more picks we have, the better. But if there’s an opportunity to move up and strike if the board recommends it, then we won’t be afraid to pull the trigger on that either.”
The No. 3 pick in the 2024 class carries more weight than it does in many other drafts. Whoever holds it will likely be picking between two of the remaining four top quarterback prospects in this year's draft, with all four seemingly expecting to be drafted in the top five.
Patriots coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged that the Patriots are in an “enviable spot” when he spoke with reporters at the NFL league meetings in March, saying that if someone offers a “bag” with “a lot of first-round picks,” the team would “definitely have to talk about those things.”
Wolf shared that there have been some inquiring teams.
“There have been conversations that have taken place,” Wolf said of the No. 3 pick.
Patriots' Eliot Wolf's message to teams interested in trading for No. 3 pick
As those conversations have taken place, have the Patriots received the “bag” yet in a trade offer?
“No, not yet,” Wolf said.
However, teams “have up until we’re on the clock” to get their best offers to the Patriots.
Wolf didn't specify what the “bag” is, but one can easily imagine what it might entail. Considering the team's need for a quarterback and recent history, they could reasonably command three first-round picks, depending on which team they're trading with.
The Minnesota Vikings, for instance, have been speculated as a common trade partner with the 11th pick. The San Francisco 49ers' gave up the No. 12 overall pick and two future first-round picks to get the No. 3 pick in 2021.
The Patriots might be looking for more than that, though. The Vikings would have to “give up a lot more” than three first-round picks to get the No. 3 pick from the Patriots, NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran reported earlier in April.
Wolf also said Thursday that the Patriots would be “comfortable” drafting any of the perceived top quarterback prospects with the No. 3 pick. We'll see if he sticks to that statement or if it's just a trade tactic.
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