It’s long been believed the New England Patriots would have to settle for whichever of the top three quarterback prospects falls to them. The Patriots aren’t set to be on the clock until No. 3 overall, giving the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders first dibs on the signal-callers they want.

Caleb Williams is the clear favorite to go to Chicago at No. 1 overall. The expectation was the Commanders would draft either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye with the next pick. Those three quarterbacks have continued to be the consensus top three in the eyes of many draft experts.

Washington, however, could throw a wrench into the mix. That scenario came to the forefront Monday afternoon when NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported on Washington’s perceived interest in J.J. McCarthy.

“When I’ve had conversations here, with executives from other teams, who know Adam Peters well, know the situation well, the most popular answer for what they do at No. 2 is J.J. McCarthy,” Pelissero said during NFL Network’s coverage from the annual league meetings.

Should the Commanders indeed draft McCarthy, the Patriots would have their choice between Daniels and Maye at No. 3 overall. It has not felt like it could be the case until Monday. And should the Patriots be interested in both Daniels and Maye, who bring different skillsets to the table, it would be an obvious benefit to draft the player they prefer.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo on Monday morning didn’t dive into which quarterback New England prefererred, to no surprise. Mayo instead shared he’s been impressed by five or six quarterbacks, all of whom he believes could become starters in the league.

The Patriots, though, could also opt to trade out of the third slot. Mayo kept the door open and said New England would have to consider it if another team threw a “bag” at the Patriots. If both Daniels and Maye are indeed on the board when the Patriots are on the clock, perhaps it triggers a team to make an offer New England can’t refuse.

Jerod Mayo Hints Drake Maye Isn’t Great Fit for Patriots

The New England Patriots head coach has some concerns about the potential No. 3 pick.

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As the free agency craze has come to an end and the New England Patriots have generally had a quiet offseason, the attention turns to the 2024 NFL Draft. With the third-overall pick in the draft, the Patriots are one of the teams to watch as they try to find their next franchise quarterback.

The endless speculation will continue for the next month about whether the pick is available, if the Pats should trade it, or who they should select if they hold onto it.

Considering how early in the rebuild New England is, finding a franchise QB has to be the priority. Everything else feels like a smoke screen right now.

However, the Patriots will not actually have their pick of the litter when it comes to quarterbacks in the draft. In fact, the two teams drafting above them are also selecting signal-callers, leaving New England with a difficult decision at No. 3.

While the consensus was that the Patriots would select whoever was left between Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, head coach Jerod Mayo’s most recent statement raised some eyebrows.

Question: What do the Patriots like about North Carolina QB Drake Maye after spending time with him?

Jerod Mayo: "Drake Maye had a fantastic interview at the combine. He brings a lot of energy. You can tell he has that leadership ability.

"Also the exciting part about a guy…

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 25, 2024

Highlighting his concern about Drake Maye’s floor, Mayo said the fact that the North Carolina star didn’t play as much football as some of the other prospects is something to consider.

“But you also have to look at how low is the floor. I would say a guy like Drake Maye – he has a lot of room to grow. He’s a young guy. Honestly, he hasn’t played football nearly as much as these other guys.”

This is a fascinating statement about Maye, who is currently the favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook (-150) to be drafted No. 3 by the Patriots. Assuming Jayden Daniels is off the board by then, one has to wonder whether Mayo’s concerns open the door for a surprise J.J. McCarthy pick for New England.