A new report from a notable NFL insider suggests the New England Patriots are seriously considering a trade back in Round 1 of the draft, but are also eyeing a certain quarterback to take with their first selection in the opening round.
With the 2024 NFL Draft set to go down next week, there has been a bunch of speculation about what the Patriots will do in Round 1. While they have a few holes to fill, there is no bigger question mark than the QB spot. Fortunately for New England, they have a top-three pick to land one of the elite signal-caller prospects in this year’s class.
However, there are quite a few teams behind the organization in Round 1 that are desperate to land a QB before they are off the board, and rumors suggest as many as five could go in the top 10 to 15. While the safe bet would be to stay in their spot in No. 3, NBC Sports NFL insider Albert Breer explained on Wednesday why they will definitely consider a “crazy” offer from a desperate team.
Related: Our latest 2024 NFL mock draft
“I know there are at least a couple of teams that have an interest in Drake Maye that could get aggressive over the next week. If somebody’s willing to do something crazy, are you willing to go down?” Breer asked. “If you go down, can you guarantee that you can get back up? Because I think that would be part of the plan, to try to get back up [in Round 1].”.
“Arizona is driving a very hard bargain at No. 4. They may not move out of there. I think the Chargers are willing [to trade the No. 5 pick], but you might have competition for that pick, so if you trade down, it’s a little complicated.”
New England Patriots could target Michael Penix Jr. after trading down in Round 1
If the New England Patriots did trade down to get more assets this year or a future draft, does that rule out getting a QB in Round 1? Well, not necessarily according to Breer, and it seems they already have a plan in place for the quarterback they could target a little later in the opening round.
“The three guys they were going to have in [for visits] were Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy, and then late in the process, they added Michael Penix to the meeting list,” Breer said. “I have it on good authority that it’s in the case that they do trade down, that they’d be prepared for that.”
Penix Jr. has developed momentum over the last few weeks and could be taken in the top 15. Landing the Washington Huskies star and more draft capital would be seen as a win-win for many in and around the Patriots organization.