The New England Patriots are coming off their worst season since 1992. The inevitable rebuild of the Patriots will start with the players whom they select this year. They finished the 2023 season with a record of 4-13, earning the 3rd overall pick in this year’s draft. This is the Patriot’s highest draft pick since drafting Drew Bledsoe first overall in 1993.
So, who should they draft? Who will hopefully be the answer to the recent struggles of the team, fans, and culture?
On March 14th, The Patriots traded Mac Jones, the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft, and the former starting quarterback, to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a measly 6th-round pick. Due to this, I believe the Patriots need to take a quarterback with the 3rd pick, and who that is, is decided by which quarterback the Washington Commanders draft with the 2nd overall pick. The two players most likely to be drafted there are Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
Personally, I think Jayden Daniels is the better player, and his stats back him up. He was this year’s Heisman Trophy winner and led his LSU Tigers to a 10-3 record. The last LSU quarterback to win the Heisman was Joe Burrow. Furthermore, he threw for 3,812 yards and rushed for 1,134 more while scoring 50 total touchdowns. Finally, his large stature of 6’4” and 210 pounds draws comparisons to Lamar Jackson and other elusive quarterbacks.
Drake Maye is also a solid young quarterback from the University of North Carolina. Last year he threw for 3,608 yards and 33 total touchdowns and was named to the 2nd team All-ACC. The main reason I believe he is not as strong a selection as Daniels is due to UNC’s record. They finished with a record of 8-5; furthermore, many of their wins came from below-average teams and losses to ranked teams. This calls Maye’s leadership and ability to win without a strong supporting cast into question.
The final option the Patriots could choose is Marvin Harrison Jr. He is the son of Hall of Fame WR Marvin Harrison and is one of the best WR prospects in recent memory. He racked up 1,211 receiving yards paired with 14 touchdowns this year at Ohio State. But from a Patriots management perspective, a QB is the correct pick to set up for the future.
Overall, the Patriots have an important decision to make with the 3rd overall pick that could help to determine the future success of the team.
