New England Patriots

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman predicts that the New England Patriots will take North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick in this year's NFL draft after the Washington Commanders go with LSU QB Jayden Daniels. The Pats are surely going to get some offers for the No. 3 pick, but it will be hard for them to pass on a franchise signal-caller after trading Mac Jones to the Jaguars this offseason. Maye didn't exactly impress with his stats in 2023, but he is a very gifted prospect and would come in and compete with veteran Jacoby Brissett for the starting gig in Week 1 this fall. Given the 21-year-old's smaller sample size, he's seen as more of a developmental QB compared to Daniels and USC's Caleb Williams. "I think he could be a better quarterback than Caleb Williams if you can protect him. He throws the s out of it, but the last two years we could tell that he really doesn't like all that stuff around him," one coach said.

The New England Patriots are hosting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye on a top-30 visit on Friday at Gillette Stadium, according to sources. The Patriots hold the third overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft and also met with Maye at the scouting combine in February and again before his pro day. The Patriots traded Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars and are looking to draft their next franchise signal-caller this year. Veteran Jacoby Brissett could be the bridge QB if the rookie that New England takes isn't ready to start in Week 1 this fall. The Bears are fully expected to take USC QB Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall, and the Patriots could take Maye third overall if the Commanders go with LSU QB Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall.

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, who is expected to be a top-five overall pick in this year's NFL draft, showed off his arm at his school's pro day on Thursday. The 6-foot-4, 223-pounder didn't throw at the scouting combine in February but showcased his arm talent while attempting 70-plus passes. "I know it's not perfect and pro day performances, as much as we want them to be perfect, I actually am more encouraged by the misses and the corrections after the misses than anything. The talent is there. He is the prototype," NFL Network's Bucky Brooks said. Maye's arm talent isn't in question, but his lack of experience -- he played only two of the last four years -- is. He's expected to have a meeting with the New York Giants "in the coming days." The G-Men are far from the only team showing interest in Maye, though.

New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett could absolutely be the team's starting QB next season, according to head coach Jerod Mayo. The Patriots don't have much to offer in the quarterback department right now, which gives Brissett a strong chance. Brissett began his career with the Patriots after being taken by them in the 3rd round of the 2016 Draft. Since then, Brissett has bounced around quite a bit. He has started on multiple teams but seems to lose the starting job as quickly as he gets it. His only competition right now is Bailey Zappe, so Brissett is likely to start right now. However, there is a strong chance that the Patriots use the No. 3 overall pick in the draft to select a franchise quarterback. That being said, Brissett might start the season under center until the rookie is ready to take over.

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting Eliot Wolf were among those from the organization attending USC's pro day last Wednesday and then Michigan's pro day on Friday, giving them a closer look at quarterbacks Caleb Williams (USC) and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan). Mayo and Wolf will likely be at LSU's pro day this Wednesday for Jayden Daniels and at North Carolina's on Thursday to watch Drake Maye. Many pundits project the Patriots taking a QB with the No. 3 overall pick in next month's NFL draft, and their scouting schedule only reinforces that thought. New England move on from Mac Jones this offseason, trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and are fully expected to bring in a rookie signal-caller in the draft to compete with Jacoby Brissett for the starting gig in 2024.