The New England Patriots hold the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. One of the top three quarterbacks on the board — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels — could still be there when it’s the Patriots’ turn on the clock.
And so could wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who is arguably the best overall player in the draft.
The Patriots could address some serious needs by taking one of the best players available early, or they could trade down for more assets to fill out their roster. In a recent column, ESPN’s Dan Graziano suggests fans shouldn’t sleep on the latter.
Per Graziano, some people around the league believe the Patriots are “open” to trading the No. 3 pick. The two teams to keep an eye out for as possible trade partners are the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.
Graziano wrote:
The Patriots also need a quarterback, but there are people around the league who believe they are open to trading the No. 3 selection, moving back in the draft and addressing the quarterback position in free agency. If the Pats do trade that pick — which could be Daniels or Maye — the two teams I’d keep an eye on are the Falcons (moving from the No. 8 spot) and the Vikings (moving from the No. 11 spot, assuming they don’t bring back Cousins).
In our latest seven-round mock draft, we explored the possibility of the Patriots swinging multiple trades to position the team better for the future. One of those trades included the No. 3 overall pick in a deal with the Vikings.
We’ll see if fantasy turns into reality when the draft rolls around in April. Having multiple options is a good thing, unless they become so overwhelming to the point that you make a poor decision.
Let’s hope that fate doesn’t belong to the Patriots.
