With the NFL Draft looming, it’s still uncertain which path the New England Patriots will take with the No. 3 overall pick. While they could opt to trade back, a recent poll of NFL insiders hints at a potential consensus.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic surveyed five “league guys” and four of them believe the Patriots will stand pat and select North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.
Opinions on Maye’s potential vary in the evaluating community, as is often true for quarterbacks in the draft. Following two impressive seasons as the Tar Heels starter, though, he’s widely considered the third-best quartergback prospect in this year’s class, behind LSU’s Jayden Daniels and likely No. 1 overall pick USC’s Caleb Williams.
That said, Maye isn’t without his critics. Recently, a former NFL general manager dubbed the QB his most “overvalued prospect” due to his ordinary traits aside from his 6-foot-5 frame. Speaking anonymously, several NFL coaches and scouts have also raised concerns over Maye’s readiness.
The uncertainty hasn’t stopped teams lower down the board from attempting to trade for the Patriots No. 3 pick, presumably to select Maye. A recent report suggests that two NFC squads in the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings are interested in the North Carolina product and have explored the option of moving up.
Regardless of what other teams might want to do, it seems that not even a king’s ransom would be enough for the Patriots to move out of the No. 3 spot. Not only has New England allegedly viewed offers for the pick as “laughable,” but a team source indicated that they would reject a proposal of three first-round picks from the Vikings.
There’s still an outside chance that the Patriots could trade the pick or shock the world and take someone other than Maye, like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. However, as the moment approaches, it’s looking far more likely that the ex-Tar Heel will be Foxborough-bound.