The New England Patriots have been in a period of transition since Tom Brady left, but the rebuilding will likely begin this offseason. Bill Belichick’s reign as the Patriots’ head coach will likely end in his 24th season.
But where do they go from here? Jerod Mayo has been pegged as Belichick’s potential successor for some time now. Robert Kraft has been on record saying he is “definitely a strong candidate to be the heir apparent.” Mayo avoided head coaching interviews last offseason in the wake of this information.
But without a quarterback, it does not matter who the Patriots hire. Mac Jones went from being a competent NFL starter as a rookie to being entirely irredeemable. Does a similar fate await the Patriots’ next passer, or will an organizational restructure help rebuild a dying roster?
New England Patriots’ Draft Options
The Patriots are currently sitting third in the NFL Draft order. With two high-quality quarterbacks on the market, having the third pick would usually be a bit disappointing. However, circumstances surrounding the two teams currently in front of them in the order have kept them down, but with talented quarterbacks at the helm.
MORE: New England Patriots Depth Chart
It’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that the Chicago Bears will continue with Justin Fields. And while the Cardinals just paid Kyler Murray handsomely, he hasn’t proven himself to be a legitimate franchise QB, and it’s not every day your team gets to potentially select the first quarterback off the board.
The Two Big-Name QBs
It’s almost December. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye have been the story since last spring. That means many in the football world have been tuning into North Carolina and Southern California games with more regularity. That means that every blemish is magnified.
The truth is, no 22-year-old quarterback prospect is perfect. Trevor Lawrence, Andrew Luck, and surely even Peyton Manning all had their flaws. While seemingly counterintuitive, college production has very little to do with a player’s NFL prospects.
Take Jake Browning, for instance. He was a four-year starter at Washington with outrageous production in every one of his four college seasons. The Layman looks at that and says, “he’s the guy.” This is a personal anecdote. Every year, my friends reach out to me asking why “X” player isn’t going to be a first-round pick. After all, he threw for 4,000 yards and 50 TDs this year!
Each player is flawed. There’s a hint of Josh Allen in Maye’s game, for better and for worse. Conversely, there is a bit of Zach Wilson in Williams’ game. We all know that’s certainly not a positive.
Maye has a bit of the “bozo” gene in him. It’s a derogatory term, but many of the top passers at the NFL level have this same gene. Another name for it is arm arrogance. These passers, like Matthew Stafford, can wow you with ridiculous arm talent and creativity on 95% of their attempts. But the other 5% is littered with some of the most inexcusable decisions we’ve ever seen a passer make.
It keeps some from ever becoming starters. However, the Stafford’s and Allen’s of the world make more than enough plays to make up for the mistakes they make. Being a gunslinger has positives and negatives.
Meanwhile, Williams has an intense desire to create. It’s clear watching him play that he can operate the quick game, but most of the time, he simply does not want to. There are times when the answers are given to him pre-snap, but he has to peek at the vertical along the sideline long enough for the slot defender playing 12 yards off to jump on the route from the slot receiver.
MORE: 7-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft
Williams won a Heisman Trophy for being a creator at a level we have almost never seen at the college level, and he’s received more than a few Patrick Mahomes comps for his efforts. But what makes Mahomes different is that he’s just as capable as a traditional dropback passer. In reality, creation is a minimal part of down-to-down quarterbacking at the NFL level.
Each player’s positive attributes will be shoved down your throats until draft night. Sometimes, it’s important to look intently at a player’s flaws to decide which archetype you’d rather have on your team.
Potential Second Pick Options
What happens if the top two quarterbacks go in the first two picks and the Patriots are stuck at No. 3? Usually, it’d be time to go full Bobby Knight and throw a folding chair across whatever room you’re in. But the 2024 NFL Draft is a bit unique.
In this scenario, that third pick could net the Patriots a gift that will keep on giving. A wide receiver drafted by the team that actually makes sense. In fact, even the organization that consistently flubs wide receiver evaluations can’t screw this one up.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is a no-doubt selection in this simulation. And while the first tier of quarterbacks is off the board, which is normally the end of starter-searching in the NFL Draft, that might not be the case this season.
It certainly depends on who declares and who does not, but the 2024 QB class could be very impressive. Underclassmen like J.J. McCarthy, Shedeur Sanders, and Carson Beck could return to school.
But even if one of those players declares, we’re looking at four quarterbacks, not including Williams and Maye, who could be hanging around at the end of Round 1 for a trade-up or at the beginning of Round 2, where the Patriots currently sit.
And they are all very different players.
Jayden Daniels is one of the most dangerous two-way threats we’ve seen since Lamar Jackson. He’s not a completely polished passer, and he takes way too many bone-crushing hits, but his downfield accuracy is unbelievable, and he’s endlessly explosive and creative as a runner.
Slotting Bo Nix in the first round would have gotten you a bigger laugh than any stand-up comedy. However, he’s become a fantastic distributor with an impressive arm and more than enough wiggle to be a threat with his legs.
Michael Penix Jr. is a wild card. His downfield accuracy is absolutely sublime, which would pair incredibly well with Harrison in this simulation. However, he’s also suffered multiple season-ending injuries during his time at Indiana.
The Patriots have options. But unless they surround whatever young quarterback talent they select with legitimate NFL playmakers on the outside behind a sufficient offensive line and coherent scheme, none of it will matter.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!