It’s been a while since the New England Patriots did well on offense.
Even in the only season they made the playoffs after Tom Brady left, they were mostly a defensive-minded team, as they were for most of Bill Belichick’s tenure.
So, after years of failure in their attempt to find Brady’s heir, it seems like they want to get it right this time.
According to a report by Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the team is leaning towards taking a quarterback with the No. 3 selection:
“The Patriots really want to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 pick. The front office wrapped up its pre-free-agency meetings a week ago and seems to be on the same page that the best way to jump-start this rebuild and yield long-term success is to find a young quarterback in the NFL Draft to build around,” wrote Howe.
https://twitter.com/jeffphowe/status/1763161131063837108
That would be a no-brainer for most teams, but the Patriots have often taken a different approach with their picks.
Some thought they could be tempted to get star WR prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State, while others predicted they would trade down to flip that pick into more draft capital.
Of course, that would’ve required either sticking with Mac Jones or pursuing a veteran in free agency or a trade, and neither of those options seem realistic or even wise at this point.
The Patriots could have either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels to choose from at No. 3, with the UNC product as the most likely candidate.
Jones is reportedly looking forward to staying in Foxboro and earning his starting spot back, and he doesn’t seem to have much of a trade value, so there’s a chance Jerod Mayo will keep him around.
Also, Maye seems to be a little raw, so perhaps the team will look to take things slow with him.
NEXT: Mel Kiper Jr. Predicts Which QB Patriots Will Draft
