The New England Patriots are listening and taking calls from teams looking to move up to the third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, league sources said.
Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf is running point but New England president Jonathan Kraft is heavily involved in the decision making, according to those sources.
But Robert Kraft badly wants the team to come away from the draft with a quarterback, which could complicate those discussions.
So even if the Patriots trade out of the No.
3 spot, they could still pursue a quarterback — potentially even by trying to trade back up for Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
GO DEEPER Eliot Wolf: Patriots would ‘be comfortable with’ any of top QBs in NFL Draft The Athletic’s most recent Patriots mock draft has New England selecting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye at No.
The Patriots enter this draft with several needs after a 4-13 season, with quarterback near the top.
Required reading NFL Draft 2024 ‘The Beast’ Guide: Dane Brugler’s scouting reports and player rankings New England Patriots NFL Draft 2024 guide: Picks, predictions and key needs Best-case scenario for the Patriots in the NFL Draft: Drake Maye, then filling other holes (Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)
According to league sources, teams hoping to advance to the third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft can reach the New England Patriots by listening to them and making calls.
These sources claim that while Jonathan Kraft, the president of New England, is actively involved in the decision-making process, Eliot Wolf, the Patriots’ director of scouting, is in charge.
Last week, when discussing the team’s interest in trading back, Wolf—who was chosen by owner Robert Kraft to have the last word in the Patriots front office—spoke bluntly.
Wolf declared on Thursday that “we’re open for business.”.
Though that could complicate those talks, Robert Kraft really wants the team to select a quarterback in the draft. When the league meetings were held last month, Kraft made that very clear. Accordingly, even if the Patriots trade for a different No. 3 spot, they might still look to acquire a quarterback; they might even attempt to trade up for Michigan’s J. J. McCarthy.
But because of that, the Pats are content to remain at No. Choosing a quarterback at step 3. The Pats would likely need to make a sizable offer, or “a bag,” as head coach Jerod Mayo referred to it a few weeks ago, in order to trade back.
Investigate further.
Eliot Wolf: Any of the top quarterbacks available in the NFL Draft would “be comfortable” with the Patriots.
New England picks quarterback Drake Maye of North Carolina at No. 1 in the most recent Patriots mock draft from The Athletic. No 3.
Longtime head coach Bill Belichick, who left the team after 24 seasons, is not present for New England as it begins its first draft. After a 4-13 campaign, the Patriots have a number of needs going into this draft, with quarterback near the top of the list. At the beginning of the week, New England’s depth chart is led by Bailey Zappe and Jacoby Brissett after trading former starter Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Reading requirements.
Scouting reports and player rankings by Dane Brugler for the NFL Draft 2024 “The Beast” guide.
Picks, projections, and essential needs for the New England Patriots in the NFL Draft of 2024.
Drake Maye, then filling other holes, is the Patriots’ best-case scenario in the NFL Draft.
Kirby Lee / USA Today (Photo).
