NFL insider creates uncertainty regarding Patriots first-round draft plans

The 2024 Draft is right around the corner, and although the assumption for the Patriots has been that they will take a quarterback with the No. 3 pick, that's apparently not officially set in stone.

With Mac Jones's failure leading to his trade this offseason and no quarterback waiting in the wings to take over the offense this fall, Jerod Mayo is in a desirable position in the draft to find their next franchise player. Given how that is typically accomplished, it's not often a team can celebrate having a top-3 selection, but the timing couldn't be any better.

Rumors have suggested that the Patriots will have the choice of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or J.J. McCarthy once they're on the clock, with their choices being heavily dictated by who the Commanders select before them.

In recent weeks, Daniels has become the favorite to go second overall again, leaving the Patriots with Maye. But McCarthy's rise on draft boards has thrown him into the mix for New England, with some claiming he is the guy Eliot Wolf is pushing to draft.

NFL insider reveals the Patriots' current plan with the third overall pick

According to the latest report from NFL insider Albert Breer, the decision to take a quarterback with the third pick is far from being decided.

On top of that, Breer finds it "interesting" that the team has only used three of their top 30 visits on quarterbacks, which could mean something or a whole lot of nothing.

“My sense is the New England Patriots haven’t made up their minds yet on trading or sticking at 3. So, yes, personnel chief Eliot Wolf’s going to take phone calls on the pick. And one really interesting piece of information I’ve gathered over the past week is that New England, to this point at least, has only allotted three of its 30 visits to quarterbacks.”

Given their options with the third pick, it's not surprising to hear there isn't a solid plan just yet. Which quarterbacks will likely fall to them is unclear, with the choices changing every week, and teams interested in trading up are probably holding off on their offers until the draft is closer.

Although they need a quarterback, the trade package they could receive in exchange for their pick might be too hard to pass up, especially since the latest chatter suggests the minimum could and should be three first-rounders.

The part about using only three top 30 visits so far on quarterbacks is also not surprising.

Mayo and Wolf know who their likeliest options will be with pick No. 3, hence the three quarterbacks they have set up visits with. The second-tier quarterbacks will still be on the board in round 2, and the Patriots have the 34th overall pick. So if they forgo a quarterback in round one, they can snag one early on day two.

It would seem silly to use one of the limited visits on one of those players and instead use them on their likeliest quarterback options and other players they could select if they trade with another quarterback-needy team or even if they trade back into the first round.

Seems like the smartest way to go about it, no?

More Patriots coverage: