Patriots decision to draft Drake Maye looks even better after JJ McCarthy news

Leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, there was a lot of speculation regarding which quarterback the Patriots were most interested in, as it was the presumed position they would target with the third overall selection.

Because Caleb Williams had long been projected as the first pick off the board, the toss-up between Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye to New England became the primary debate. Both quarterbacks were highly regarded coming out of college and named at the top of the class, interchanging who was right behind Williams depending on the day.

But at some point during the process, reports suggested Eliot Wolf was pushing for another quarterback to be considered for the team, a quarterback who had previously been projected as a second-rounder.

It was Michigan's JJ McCarthy, the young quarterback who led the Wolverines to the CFP National Championship just a couple of months prior. His talents had been praised and questioned despite his recent success, but the Patriots then became the frontrunner to pick him in the first round, which rose to an even higher level after Wolf's alleged fascination.

Fast forward to draft night, the Patriots chose Maye, passing on McCarthy who wound up going to the Minnesota Vikings with the 10th overall pick.

Although Maye has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny this offseason, particularly during the preseason process, the Patriots look like they made the right decision for a brand new reason after the latest unfortunate news out of Minnesota.

JJ McCarthy's injury proves the Patriots dodged a potential disaster for the 2024 season

One of the main headlines out of NFL training camp on Tuesday surrounded the newly discovered injury to McCarthy's meniscus. There were fears it was partially torn or worse, prompting the quarterback to seek further evaluation from a local hospital.

There was internal optimism that the injury wasn't as bad as initially hoped, but NFL insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported surgery revealed it was a full tear to McCarthy's meniscus and will force him to miss the entire 2024 season.

It's horrific news for a team hoping they found their next franchise quarterback after the departure of Kirk Cousins in free agency. And it's heartbreaking news for McCarthy, who was looking forward to starting his NFL career this fall.

This now means the Vikings will have Sam Darnold under center for the foreseeable future unless they sign another free agent, which won't bring much excitement or optimism for their chances this upcoming season.

The Patriots look to have dodged a massive bullet by not selecting McCarthy, although injuries can happen to any player at any time. And although they plan to have Jacoby Brissett start the year, there has been talk of Maye taking over at some point during the season, so if they had McCarthy, that wouldn't be possible.

It also shines a light on Jerod Mayo's decision to keep Maye on the sideline for most of their preseason opener last week, a choice that has brought on a lot of criticism for the new head coach. But seeing how McCarthy spent a lot more time on the field against the Raiders in their Vikings preseason game, Mayo looks wise to have been more reluctant with Maye.

More Patriots news and analysis: