New England Patriots

Per a league source, the current expectation is that the New England Patriots will sit tight at No. 3 overall in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night and take North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. The New York Giants (No. 6) and Minnesota Vikings (No. 11) had been linked to a potential trade up to No. 3, but the Patriots unsurprisingly have been asking for a lot in return. If the Patriots do stay in the third spot, their next challenge will be getting Maye ready after he showed plenty of inconsistencies and shaky mechanics in his final year with the Tar Heels. In an ideal world for the Pats, Maye would sit and learn behind veteran Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe in 2024 and then be ready to go as the team's starter under center in 2025. The Patriots traded former first-rounder Mac Jones to the Jaguars this offseason.

ESPN's Jeff Darlington reports that the Minnesota Vikings are very tense with the first round of the 2024 NFL draft just hours away from starting on Thursday night as they look to trade up to No. 3 with the New England Patriots in an effort to take a quarterback of the future. The Vikings currently sit at the No. 11 pick and were unable to re-sign quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason. The player that has fascinated them throughout the pre-draft process has been North Carolina QB Drake Maye, but there is serious competition for the No. 3 pick, including the Patriots themselves. If Minnesota can't get Maye at No. 3, they'd likely need to jump the Giants at No. 6 in order to get Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. If they whiff on Maye and McCarthy, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. could be the fallback option for the Vikes.

The New York Giants have been trying to trade up to No. 3 overall with the New England Patriots in the first round of Thursday night's NFL draft, with the belief being that they want to select North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, according to multiple league sources. The prevailing thought is that it's a long shot to happen, though, but the Patriots are listening to all calls. The Giants and Vikings appear to be the most aggressive teams that are trying to trade into the top five in order to take a QB of the future in this year's draft. The Patriots have been open to trading down, but so far they've reportedly not received any serious enough offers, and they are also looking for a QB of their own after trading away Mac Jones this offseason. Most pundits are expecting New England to stand pat and take Maye if LSU's Jayden Daniels goes to the Commanders at No. 2.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe thinks No. 3 to the New England Patriots in Thursday night's NFL draft feels like the spot for North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, although a couple executives made a case for Michigan's J.J. McCarthy. Maye has prototypical size, arm strength and athletic ability, but there's genuine concern about his inconsistencies in 2023, and his tape shed light on some erratic throws and tendencies. He has a reputation as a high-character person with great leadership abilities. Maye would be the more traditional pick at No. 3 to the Pats, with McCarthy being viewed as more of a surprise. If Maye is still available at No. 3, one executive thinks the Minnesota Vikings "would move heaven and Earth" to try and move up to draft him. If Maye lands in New England, he could sit and learn behind veteran Jacoby Brissett in 2024.

The New York Giants are in an interesting predicament at the quarterback spot. The organization signed Daniel Jones (knee) to a four-year, $160 million deal last offseason, but he didn't play well in 2023, and he is coming off a torn ACL. There has been plenty of buzz surrounding New York selecting a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that they could pass on a quarterback if North Carolina's Drake Maye isn't available at pick No. 6. "Most teams believe if Maye is off the board, the Giants' most likely scenario is to go wide receiver to land a player who can help an offense that was last in the league in yards after the catch in 2023," Russini wrote. If the reports are true, look for New York to target LSU's Malik Nabers in that draft slot. That said, Washington's Rome Odunze is likely in consideration as well.