Patriots Mock Draft Roulette: Why The Team Should Pick A Quarterback

FOXBORO, MA — The New England Patriots aren’t yet on the clock, but months and months of speculation and scouting have led up to this week, when the team will either make fans very happy or very, very upset.

New England is well positioned to take a quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft, sitting at third in the first round, which begins this Thursday in Detroit.

What the Patriots will do with that pick remains to be seen, even as insiders close to the team and around the country begin to report the team’s plan to stick at three and pick from the trio of LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.

The first pick will be crucial to the team for years to come, but it isn’t the only important move for the Patriots, who are coming off of another disappointing year that ended with the departure of Bill Belichick.

Further, the future of the roster and many key players are uncertain, with a vast majority of players currently on one-year deals.

Do the Patriots draft a heavy load of offensive players to support a new quarterback? Do they look to 2025 with selections that add insurance for key departures? Do they trade out of three and attempt to acquire a massive haul for the third pick?

All that remains to be seen, but each deserves a level of interest and experimentation in the lead-up to Thursday.

Enter the novices here at Patch.com. In a series of stories, we’ll run through three mock draft simulations that give a rough understanding of what could happen should the Patriots take one of three approaches:

1. Stay at three and draft a quarterback
2. Trade out of three for as much draft capital as possible
3. Stay at three and draft one of the top wide receivers or offensive lineman

Each of these simulations will be three rounds, which should give readers a rough idea of who could make up the core of the draft class and potentially find playing time in their first year.

We’ll start with the first — and perhaps most likely — option of the Patriots staying put at three and selecting a quarterback.

Why Quarterback

The answer is quite simple, really. Quarterback is the most important position in football and, although the team signed Jacoby Brissett in the offseason, it was only on a one-year deal and he hasn’t proven to be a franchise changer.

Brissett, however, does provide a great veteran for a quarterback to learn from and can be a more than capable bridge quarterback should the rookie need a year to learn the ins and outs of the NFL.

A quarterback at three does put additional pressure on the team’s draft, however, as it’s consensus around the league that the team’s supporting cast on the offensive is below average. That means the team should invest heavily into offensive talent with its later picks.

The offensive line outside of Mike Owenu doesn’t include players the team has invested heavily in, at least contractually, and center David Andrews could be in the final year of his career.

Then there are the receiving options, which are solid but don’t include a clear number one option.

Who the team drafts after quarterback could just as help his development as hurt it.

The Draft

Round 1, Pick 3

Drake Maye, North Carolina

Caleb Williams is as much of a certainty to go first overall as there could be, which leaves the Washington Commanders with a decision between Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy. Most experts — something the writer of this story doesn’t claim to be — have Daniels going to Washington at two, which means, for this exercise, Maye falls to New England at three.

Maye’s evaluation isn’t all that dissimilar from other strong-armed, athletic quarterbacks that have come out in recent years. He can make every throw, extend plays with his legs and dot passes down the field. However, success at the NFL level means he’ll need to cut down on reckless decisions.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said Maye’s physical gifts and intelligence at the position are reminiscent of Justin Herbert, and he considers Maye to have a similar ceiling, too. That should be welcome news to Patriots fans if the draft falls this way.

Round 2, Pick 34

Jordan Morgan, Arizona

In this simulation, both Michael Penix and Bo Nix are still available at the top of the second round. The AI Oakland Raiders offered pick 44 and a 2025 second-round pick to move into 34 likely angling toward one of those options.

If that situation plays out on a draft day it wouldn’t be a bad call to take the offer, as there should still be competent pass catchers and offensive linemen available.

However, to make this exercise easier, the Patriots stay put here and select …

Still available at 34 was tackle Kingsley Suamataia, of BYU. UConn guard Christian Haynes was also available, as was West Virginia center Zach Frazier. Oregon receiver Troy Franklin and South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette were also available.

The decision here is between Morgan and Troy Franklin, who fall just two spots apart (34 and 36, respectively) on The Athletic’s consensus big board. Morgan was the choice here mainly for another reason. This draft, hypothetically, is deep at the receiver position and, especially past the big three of Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers, there doesn’t seem to be much that separates one player from the other.

Tackle is different, as the choices after the second round become much more limited.

Morgan should have the opportunity to try his hand at left tackle as early as this year, but also projects to be a plus guard if he isn’t able to stick on the outside. For the Patriots, fixing any of the holes on the offensive line should be a value, especially as Maye develops.

Round 3, Pick 68

Devontez Walker, North Carolina

Maye’s college teammate was a transfer from Kent State who dealt with eligibility issues before becoming cleared to play part-way through his lone season at North Carolina.

Best of all for the Patriots here, they get a legitimate deep threat to pair alongside Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn. There is still development needed for Walker when it comes to route running and footwork, but the familiarity with Maye and fit in the receiving room could lead to early playing time for Walker.

Still available at this pick were Florida State running back Trey Benson, Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and linebacker Junior Colson, Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Boston College guard Christian Mahogany and wide receiver Jalen McMillan.