New England Patriots 5-round 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Mac Jones gets replaced
It's time to move on from the former first-round pick.
By Ryan Heckman
The 2023 New England Patriots are a far cry from what fans are accustomed to seeing. But, this has been their story ever since Tom Brady left town.
We don't know what the future holds for head coach Bill Belichick. We hardly know what the future holds for dozens of guys in the building right now, to put it bluntly.
But, one thing we can almost be guaranteed of at this point, is that Mac Jones will no longer be the starting quarterback in New England after this season. The Patriots currently have the no. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and that selection should absolutely be used on a quarterback.
In fact, in our latest mock draft, that's exactly they route they go, sending Jones either to the bench or out of New England altogether.
. . 441. Drake Maye. Drake Maye. Drake Maye. QB. . 1. player
With the third overall selection, the Patriots go with the consensus no. 2 quarterback in this draft class, Drake Maye out of North Carolina. Standing 6-foot-5, Maye is every bit of your prototypical NFL quarterback. For those scared off by North Carolina quarterbacks after the Mitchell Trubisky debacle, I'm here to tell you: Maye is a different breed.
Some might even argue Maye could usurp Caleb Williams as the draft's best quarterback overall. He has the traits you love to see in a future stud. Maye can make all of the throws, including the big ones. He excels on the long ball a la Josh Allen. He's also mobile enough to escape the pocket and extend plays.
May represents a new era in New England, because he operates well in a vertical style offense. If the Patriots are going to completely reset offensively, he's a great start. Hopefully prior to the draft, the Patriots have hired a new offensive coordinator that can take them into this generation's style of offense.