INDIANAPOLIS — Some members of the Patriots’ staff are sitting pretty with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Multiple members of the Patriots staff have told the Herald that they view all three top quarterback prospects, USC’s Caleb Williams, UNC’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels, as worthy of a top-three selection. Williams is still widely regarded as the top QB in the draft, but evaluators on staff who spoke to the Herald would be happy if any of the three quarterbacks were available with their No. 3 overall pick. If a firm decision has been made to draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall, however, that would be news to several high-ranking members of the personnel department, per sources.
The Patriots held formal interviews with all three players plus Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Oregon’s Bo Nix, at the NFL Scouting Combine this week. The Patriots’ next step in the evaluation process will be to attend QB pro days and invite players to Gillette Stadium for “top 30” visits.
One source told the Herald that Maye, who’s most likely to go No. 2 or 3 overall in the draft, made a strong impression on the team in his formal interview with the team.
The feeling was mutual.
“Yeah, I was really impressed with them,” Maye said. “Being in there, New England is obviously a great sports town. And the meeting with them, I thought it went well. New England is a great spot.”
The UNC passer, whose 2022 tape should be more relevant than his 2023 campaign given UNC’s change in offenses and loss of offensive playmakers, said he congratulated head coach Jerod Mayo on his promotion during his meeting with the Patriots.
De facto general manager Eliot Wolf would likely need to trade up to No. 1 overall if they want Williams, but the USC QB did come away from his meeting that included Wolf, head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with a positive feeling about the organization.
“The Patriots were cool,” Williams said. “The room wasn’t as packed. They had just a few guys here. And we talked mainly about ball. It was a good impression. They were asking me questions about my life, about ball and testing me and things like that. So all of the meetings were good. And they were all kind of in the same ballpark. They don’t really get to see you and test your mental for this quick 10, 20 minutes that they have. That’s what they’re mainly trying to do to get out of you.”
One league source did tell the Herald this week that evaluators can tell when a prospect has been coached up and will see through it with their questions about concepts within the offense they were running.
Williams elected not to go through medical testing at the combine, which might be a first for a prospect. Teams that show enough interest will get that information, however.
“For the medical stuff, I’ll be doing the medical stuff, just not here in Indy. I’ll be doing it at the team interviews,” Williams said. “You know, not 32 teams can draft me. There’s only one of me. And so, the teams that I go to for my visits, those teams will have the medical, and that’ll be it.”
Maye, Williams and Daniels were all too young to experience the Patriots’ first dynasty, but the team’s reputation as a winner still carries with the young quarterbacks.
“It would be dope. Obviously, growing up and seeing what Tom Brady did there, six Super Bowls,” Daniels said. “That’s tough to live up to, but it would be dope to see the success they had and help them get back on that track.”
McCarthy also has fans within the organization but not with the third overall pick. He called his interview with the Patriots “amazing.”
“Coach Mayo, awesome guy, asked some really great questions,” McCarthy said. “You can definitely tell he’s been around this process for along time and been a part of it. Great interactions and it would be an honor to be a part of their organization.”
The Patriots desperately need help at quarterback given 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones’ struggles over the last two seasons. It seems likely that Jones, who went 2-9 as a starter in 2023, will be moved this offseason, and sources around the combine have projected the Patriots could receive a fifth- or sixth-round pick in a trade return.
Bailey Zappe, who was 2-4 in six starts, is still under contract and could be kept as a reserve option on the roster.
On top of completing 72.2% of passes for 3,812 yards with 40 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions, Daniels, last season’s Heisman winner, also rushed for 1,250 yards with 10 touchdowns. Williams, the 2022 Heisman winner, completed 68.6% of his passes for 3,633 yards with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 11 more scores in 2023. Maye completed 63.3% of his passes for 3,608 yards with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for 582 yards with nine touchdowns.
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