Reporters covering the Patriots discuss the dilemma of whether to trade down in the draft or select a quarterback.
Chris Mason and Mark Daniels, reporters covering the New England Patriots for MassLive, are skeptical of the idea that the team will trade down from the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Mason believes the Patriots are intent on selecting a quarterback with that pick, especially considering the draft’s top-heavy nature and the trend of players staying in school longer due to name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities. He suggests that any trade offer to move down would need to be substantial, likely involving multiple future draft picks, which might not be appealing to Patriots’ decision-makers like de facto general manager Eliot Wolf.
Earlier reports indicated that Wolf wanted to accumulate draft capital to build up the roster, leading to speculation that the Patriots could trade down. However, this was before the team signed Jacoby Brissett as a bridge option at quarterback and traded Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Mason also predicts that there is only a 29% chance that backup quarterback Bailey Zappe will make the Patriots’ final 53-man roster later in the summer.
The Minnesota Vikings have been mentioned as a potential trade partner to move up from the 11th overall pick into the top five, and the New York Giants could offer the sixth overall pick along with three second-round picks to the Patriots in exchange for the third selection.
On the other hand, Daniels believes that the Patriots should select either North Carolina’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels with the third overall pick. He argues that with Brissett in place, the Patriots wouldn’t need to start a rookie quarterback immediately and could instead let them develop while building the team around them.
NESN’s Jason Ounpraseuth suggested that the Patriots should ask the Vikings for star wide receiver Justin Jefferson in a trade, as Jefferson could be a year away from free agency. However, there is no indication that the Vikings would be willing to part with Jefferson, and acquiring him wouldn’t impact the Patriots’ search for a long-term replacement for Tom Brady.
