New England Patriots still undecided on plans with No. 3 pick in NFL Draft

Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

We’re just over two weeks away from the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. Some teams, like the Chicago Bears, already have a strong idea of who they’ll take with their first pick. Then, there’s the New England Patriots, who are at the mercy of how the draft board ahead of them falls.

We’ve heard all the Patriots rumors, from them liking each prospect from Jayden Daniels to Drake Maye and even J.J. McCarthy with the third pick. Other scenarios even include standing pat and taking Marvin Harrison Jr. to solve their receiver needs.

Of course, the Patriots could always trade down from No. 3, which would net them more draft capital and more cracks at adding multiple impact players to the roster instead of just one elite talent.

As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports, his sense is that the Patriots “still haven’t made up their minds” on whether they’ll pick a player at No. 3 or trade down. He goes on to state that the Patriots’ personnel chief Eliot Wolf will continue taking trade calls from teams seeking a move up. So, why isn’t New England confident in what they’ll do on draft day?

Why are the New England Patriots still undecided about their NFL Draft plans?

Like the rest of the world, the New England Patriots don’t know what to expect when the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway. As to why reports suggest they’re still undecided on their draft plans? It’s actually pretty simple.

Sure, teams already have all the most important information regarding NFL Draft prospects in front of them. The film these prospects have put on tape won’t change over the next few weeks. The only thing that prevents the Patriots from finalizing their draft plans is not knowing what the Washington Commanders’ plans at No. 2 are.

Say the Patriots have LSU’s Jayden Daniels as the top prospect on their draft board. That’s fine, but if the Commanders take the LSU QB at No. 2, it leaves the Patriots scrambling for the next best prospect. Yet, what if the Patriots aren’t as high on someone like Drake Maye at No. 3? In this purely hypothetical scenario, wouldn’t it be in New England’s best interest to trade down?

While the public has its own perception regarding quarterbacks, we must remember that each individual team has its own draft grades on prospects, too. Just because players like Daniels, Maye, and J.J. McCarthy are viewed as potential top-four picks, it doesn’t mean the Patriots agree.