2024 NFL Draft: New England Patriots approaching major territory

The New England Patriots were on their bye week in Week 11 of the 2023 NFL Season, and are slowly but surely approaching a very valuable slot in the 2024 NFL Draft. I think when you look at who could potentially take a quarterback in April's draft, the Patriots need to be in the top two, at least.

Currently, the Chicago Bears have the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by way of the Carolina Panthers, whose first-round pick belongs to them. The Bears would surely take Caleb Williams unless Justin Fields just takes an astronomical, sensational leap. That won't happen, though, so you can pencil the Bears in for Caleb Williams.

Picking second is a very interesting team in the Arizona Cardinals, who are 2-9 and have gotten QB Kyler Murray back in the lineup. Murray being back in the lineup definitely gives them a shot to win each week, but this roster is just so weak, I'm not sure if Arizona is going to win many more games this year. And picking third overall would be the New England Patriots.

The third overall pick would be too high right now for those tier two QBs that are projected to be in the 2024 NFL Draft class. Guys like Michael Penix Jr and Bo Nix might translate at the next level, but surely not high enough to warrant taking them third overall. The Patriots are going to need to lose more if they want to jump the Cardinals.

Now, the funky thing here is if the Cardinals decide to move on from Kyler Murray. There's been some discussion about this; Murray is a franchise QB who is a true dual-threat passer. He's also still in his mid-20s and looks every bit back from his ACL injury. I would not be surprised to see Murray stick around in Arizona, but he does have a large contract, and the Cards could get some serious cap relief by trading him.

Resetting the QB spot with a rookie passer might be best for their rebuild. If the Cardinals stick with Murray and do have the second overall pick, I could see them trading down. I could also see them stay put and take someone like Marvin Harrison Jr. And to make matters even more fiesty, what if the New England Patriots made a trade for Kyler Murray?

Murray is a legitimate threat and would give the Patriots a fighting chance against Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa.