The New England Patriots will probably get calls from several teams looking to trade up in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. And according to our Tom E. Curran, it's going to take quite a large package of assets for the Patriots to move the No. 3 overall pick.
A popular hypothetical trade proposal in several mock drafts over the last few months involves the Patriots trading down in a deal with the Minnesota Vikings, who are one of the teams reportedly with interest in trading up.
This deal often includes the Patriots trading No. 3 to the Vikings in exchange for Minnesota's two 2024 first-round picks (Nos. 11 and 23) and its 2025 first-rounder.
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Would that kind of return actually be enough for the Patriots to move their pick?
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"What I'm hearing in terms of the bag that Jerod Mayo referenced last week -- what kind of currency do the Patriots need to see coming to them?" Curran said on a new episode of NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Talk Podcast.
"I keep circling back to, it's gotta be three first-round picks, meaning Minnesota at Nos. 11 and 23, and their first-round pick from 2025. From what I'm hearing, it's going to take a lot more than that for the Patriots to be moved off their spot. Because they as a team collectively understand the opportunity that these three quarterbacks represent at the top of the draft."
The Patriots really do have a rare opportunity with a top-three pick to select their next franchise quarterback. The last time they had a first-round pick in the top three was 1993. The Patriots used the No. 1 overall pick that year to select Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who helped turn the franchise into a respectable team and a winner.
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A pretty similar opportunity exists in 2024. This draft class has three or four quarterbacks with the on-field ability and leadership qualities to be franchise cornerstones.
Quarterback is the primary weakness on the Patriots roster. Lackluster play at this position was the main reason why the team's offense was the lowest-scoring unit in the league last season at 13.8 points per game.
If the Patriots like one of the top-tier quarterback prospects in this class, the smartest decision is to draft one of them and then surround that player with as much talent as possible at the skill positions.
The two-best quarterbacks who could be available to the Patriots at No. 3 are LSU's Jayden Daniels and UNC's Drake Maye. Maye will visit the Patriots on a top 30 visit Friday, and Daniels will be in Foxboro on Monday.
Also in this episode:
- Reaction to the Stefon Diggs trade
- JP Finlay on who Washington may target at No. 2 overall
- Joe Person on the character of Drake Maye