New England Patriots

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.

ESPN New York's Jordan Ranaan says there's little doubt the New York Giants want to add a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft. The Giants have had almost all of the top QBs in this year's class in for visits and either had private workouts or the team's most important decision-makers attended their pro days. Multiple general managers think QBs will be taken with each of the top four picks. The Giants have the No. 6 pick. It would be costly for the G-Men to jump into the top five, especially since the thought in league circles is that the Vikings are eyeing a trade up. There is a strong belief by some in the league that North Carolina QB Drake Maye is the Giants' guy. The physical talent is there with Maye, but he's also going to be more of a project than the other top QB options in this year's draft. Sitting a year behind Daniel Jones would be ideal.

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.