To borrow some phrasing from “Draft Day,” many believe the Patriots should select a quarterback at No. 3 no matter what.
Scott Zolak doesn’t see it that way.
Signal-caller arguably is New England’s biggest need heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, and the franchise is in position to land one of the best in the class with its highest pick in over three decades. But Zolak, a former Patriots QB who now serves as a radio color commentator for the team, believes New England shouldn’t force the issue if the chips don’t fall in its favor.
“If they aren’t in love at three with the QB and not going to play him, I say trade,” Zolak recently said, per The Boston Globe. “Especially with still not having a No. 1 wide receiver or a starting left tackle through free agency.”
Story continues below advertisement
A recent report claimed the Patriots have not “shown an appetite” for trading the third overall pick. However, de facto general manager Eliot Wolf reportedly has a goal to “stockpile” picks, and New England could rake in a haul with a first-round trade. And at least one team might be gearing up to make the Patriots an offer they can’t refuse.
New England reportedly does not “love” Drake Maye, who arguably would be the best quarterback available if Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels are taken with the first two picks, respectively. If those selections come to pass, the Patriots might want to heed Zolak’s advice.
How Cardinals GM’s NFL Draft Comments Could Affect Patriots
The buzz around a draft day trade continues to grow a month ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, and the New England Patriots will face a key decision with the third overall pick.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah reported last Friday there is a “strong expectation” that four quarterbacks will be selected at the top of the first round. Caleb Williams is expected to go first to the Chicago Bears, and J.J. McCarthy gained momentum this month as the consensus fourth-best signal-caller in the class, worthy of a top-10 selection. Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels either will go at No. 2 or No. 3, but the order of those selections remains unclear.
A team like the Minnesota Vikings could make a strong push to trade up into the first round. And despite their connections to Maye, there’s belief they’d also be satisfied with McCarthy.
It’s unknown how willing the Washington Commanders are to trade out of the No. 2 pick, and the Patriots reportedly haven’t “shown an appetite” to trade out of the No. 3 pick. That leaves the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 as a trade-down candidate, and their general manager made some interesting comments about that possibility this week.
“There will be a big neon sign that says ‘open’ and I don’t like it blinking, it messes with my eyes, but we’re always going to be listening,” Ossenfort said in a news conference Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Grant Gordon. “I think we’ll always have the conversation, we may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it’s at (No.) 4 or anywhere we’re picking, but we’re always going to have the conversation and if it makes sense, if it’s attractive to building our team, then it’s something that we’ll certainly consider no matter where we’re at in the draft.”
Ossenfort orchestrated five draft-related trades last season, and he’s worked under former New England head coach Bill Belichick for 15 seasons, so he’s learned the value of gaining more assets in the draft. The Cardinals could trade down and allow a team to select McCarthy fourth overall and then use those assets to trade back up to select Marvin Harrison Jr.
How could this affect the Patriots?
It first lessens the chance of a trade down. If a team was willing to settle with the fourth overall pick, that either means that the franchise is really high on McCarthy or was unable to trade into the top-three picks. Arizona seems like a last-resort option for a QB-needy club.
If the top three remain intact, that means it’s a roll of the dice for New England when it comes to Maye and Daniels. The Patriots reportedly “don’t love” Maye, who multiple analysts believe needs to sit for a season. There’s no consensus on what Washington will do at No. 2, and there are mixed opinions on whether New England should take a chance on the QBs.
No matter what happens, the 2024 NFL Draft is shaping up to be a drama-filled night in Detroit.
