Report: Pats plan to draft QB at No. 3, bring in veteran
The New England Patriots are planning to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, sources told Karen Guregian and Mark Daniels of Mass Live.
New England reportedly also intends to bring in a veteran signal-caller who could potentially be the starter to begin 2024, allowing the new rookie time to adjust to the NFL level.
The Patriots' plan will likely mean the end of Mac Jones' time with the team, adds Guregian and Daniels. The 2021 first-round pick struggled over the last two seasons following a solid rookie year and could be a trade candidate.
Former USC star Caleb Williams is the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears, leaving North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels as the remaining top quarterback prospects.
The Commanders are also in the market for a quarterback, so New England seems to be in line to draft whichever passer Washington doesn't select.
"If the team selects Daniels or Maye and deems them ready, the rookie would start," wrote Guregian and Daniels. "But this is a process that this new Patriots brass isn't going to rush."
New England is beginning a new era with head coach Jerod Mayo replacing the legendary Bill Belichick, while Eliot Wolf is running the personnel department, which Belichick previously oversaw.