NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Experts can't decide on a quarterback for the Patriots

It's easy to look at New England's roster and pencil in a quarterback to the Patriots with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. This is essentially what draft experts have done since before the 2023 season ended.

While there's an outside chance that new head coach Jerod Mayo will want to take things in a different direction, it would be hard to pass up an opportunity for a fresh start at the quarterback position (considering how brutal things have been over the past two years).

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine didn't change things much for the Patriots when it comes to their first-round pick, as all three of the top quarterbacks did not participate in athletic testing or on-field drills. But somehow, we are seeing a shakeup in what experts believe they will do early in the draft.

It feels like New England is bound to go with the player they deem as the best quarterback available with the third overall pick, but following the NFL Combine, experts have failed to agree with what this team will do early in the draft. One draft writer even has them trading up for the first overall pick. Here's the latest Patriots mock draft roundup.

Patriots post-Combine mock draft roundup:

Charles Davis, NFL.com: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

Early in the pre-draft process, it's been a back-and-forth affair between UNC's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels for the third overall pick in the draft. We know that Caleb Williams is going to be the No. 1 pick in the draft at this point, and who the Patriots take could completely depend on what the Washington Commanders do with the second overall pick. Charles Davis thinks Washington will take Daniels, leaving New England to snatch up Maye.

Jordan Reid, ESPN: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Jordan Reid's draft is just the opposite. The ESPN draft expert has the Commanders taking Drake Maye, which means Jayden Daniels is the quarterback available at pick No. 3. That makes this an easy choice for Mayo and company to hit the reset button and start fresh with a quarterback with a lot more mobility and traits than anything they've had in recent years.

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Here comes the curveball. In his latest mock draft, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has New England skipping out on quarterback altogether and selecting this year's 'can't miss' prospect, Marvin Harrison Jr. The Ohio State star projects as a WR1 in the NFL with the upside to be a perennial Pro Bowler. This wouldn't solve the quarterback problem, but it would certainly make things easier for the next man at the helm (whoever that ends up being).

Gordon McGuinness, Pro Football Focus: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Pro Football Focus is siding with Jordan Reid in this week, as Gordon McGuinness mocks Jayden Daniels to the Patriots. This still feels like the safest bet for a team desperate for a spark at the position, considering how the first two picks are projected to unfold.

Will Brinson, CBS Sports: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

If Trapasso's selection for the Patriots didn't throw us off, Will Brinson's will be sure to do just that. The CBS Sports writer has the Bears sticking with QB Justin Fields in 2024 and trading the first overall pick for a king's ransom. In this mock, it's New England that bites at the opportunity to take the top QB prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. You won't see this often, but USC's Caleb Williams winds up being a Patriot in this mock draft.