The New England Patriots seem to be headed toward landing a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the organization has already begun the process of scouting a particular elite quarterback prospect.
Sunday afternoon was another showcase of just how bad the Patriots quarterback situation has become. After two decades of being led by Tom Brady, arguably, the greatest signal-caller of all time the Pats have a messy situation with Mac Jones.
After an impressive showing in his rookie season, a coordinator change on offense last year created a downward spiral for the young QB that has not been fixed and seemingly has only gotten worse in 2023. On Sunday the offense only mustered seven points in another loss, and Jones was benched for an absurd fourth time in just 12 weeks.
New England’s latest defeat dropped the team to 2-9 this season and they are headed to their worst record since 1992. The only positive in the dumpster fire that this season has been is that the loss moved the team into the third spot on the current 2024 draft order, and they now have a 38-percent chance of landing a top-two selection in April.
New England Patriots already scouting Caleb Williams
Getting into a top-two spot is important because while there are several interesting QB prospects that could be up for grabs next spring, the universal opinion in football circles is that North Carolina star Drake Maye and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams are the best talents in the 2024 class.
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And it seems the Patriots may already have a favorite and are starting what could be a long and in-depth scouting process. Before USC’s 38-20 defeat to UCLA this past week, Trojans reporter Chris Trevino revealed, “One NFL scout out on the field early watching QB Caleb Williams: New England Patriots.”
As the event draws closer, there will surely be a lot of debate on which QB truly has the most potential at the next level, but Williams has been seen by many as the best young player in the college ranks for the last couple of seasons. With the Pats actually in range of getting him, it makes a lot of sense to be taking a close look at the young star.
Williams won’t win the Heisman again in 2023 but he is still having a strong season with 3,633 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.