Patriots Shouldn’t Overthink First-Round Pick, Need To Draft QB At No. 3

Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo are in a position they’ve never been in before. It’s a position the organization as a whole, never mind just New England’s two newcomers, is unfamiliar with.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a difficult one.

The Patriots absolutely should stick at No. 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft. And they absolutely should draft the top three quarterback that falls to them.

The decision should come down to the consensus top three of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. There’s no harm in taking the one that’s there. Because while the Patriots don’t hold their own fate, that belongs to the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, who pick No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, they do control the short-term outlook and long-term future. A quarterback, especially in this scenario, addresses both.

Wolf said Thursday he feels there will be at least one quarterback available at No. 3 that is deserving of that selection. Wolf called it a “unique” year given the talent of the quarterback class. He said the Patriots brass would be “comfortable” drafting a quarterback with that pick, and said he thinks the team is ready to bring in a franchise signal-caller. In his first public comments as New England’s personnel leader — he hasn’t been named general manager, but figures to be the front-runner for that position — Wolf salivated about the quarterback class. At that time, he praised the toughness and leadership the top signal-callers oozed, and pointed to the fact teams around the league traditionally find their quarterbacks in the first round.

Wolf and the Patriots have since kept their options open. Wolf unapologetically said Thursday the Patriots are “open for business” with their first-round pick or any selection after that. Mayo said the Patriots were willing to listen to offers, too. That’s fine to say publicly. It’s fine to keep that door open in case a desperate team takes desperation to a new level and trades “the bag,” as Mayo put it.

But when the calendar turns to Thursday, and when the Patriots are on the clock, those feelings should go out the Gillette Stadium window.

It’s not that difficult.

The Patriots need a quarterback, the most important position in all of sports. They know it. Robert Kraft wants a “top-rate” QB, too. And nothing should get in their way of selecting the remaining option — all three quarterbacks also are viewed as consensus top prospects — with their first-round pick.

It all starts there, after all. New England’s other needs at offensive tackle and wide receiver won’t matter if the team doesn’t have a quarterback. Solving the quarterback position will revitalize the fan base, too, though that should not the most important aspect. And ultimately acing that quarterback selection will help New England become a destination for other top players and free agents, a label it hasn’t had in the post-Tom Brady tenure.

And while addressing the position is first and foremost, it specifically could come down to J.J. McCarthy and Maye for No. 3. Williams is a surefire lock to be No. 1 and all signs are pointing to Daniels being drafted by Washington. The Patriots should then take the quarterback they feel is best for the long-term.

Maye feels like the best long-term option. Not McCarthy. Maye, the North Carolina product, has arguably the highest ceiling of any quarterback prospect, draft experts say. McCarthy might be the safer decision, but the Patriots should not take the safe route at No. 3. This is where you swing for the fences, and Maye is viewed as a “home-run pick.”

If all goes well, if the Patriots draft a quarterback and specifically if they land Maye, the unfamiliar decision for Wolf and company hopefully will remain unfamiliar.