The New England Patriots could find their next franchise quarterback in this month's NFL Draft. Either LSU's Jayden Daniels or UNC's Drake Maye almost certainly will be available when they're on the clock with the third overall pick.
While trading down remains a possibility, it'll be tough to pass up the opportunity to land a signal-caller who could alter the direction of the organization. Both Daniels and Maye boast intriguing upside and could help fans forget about last year's dismal 4-13 campaign.
Which QB should Pats fans hope is available at No. 3? CBS NFL analyst Charles Davis joined Phil Perry on a new Next Pats Podcast to share his two cents.
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🔊 Next Pats: Jayden Daniels vs. Drake Maye with Charles Davis | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"If I'm the Patriots, I would hope that they would like either Daniels or Maye," Davis said. "I think that Daniels has just had an exceptional year.
"But I've got to tell you something. When I watch Maye throw the football, I'm beyond impressed."
With Davis high on Maye, Perry asked whether he has any concerns about the criticisms of Maye's mechanics and fundamentals.
"Part of it is him trying to fashion plays and make plays that maybe weren't there. Him trying to force and do a little bit more to bring a team along that wasn't quite there," Davis said. "They had a great start last year, but it all caught up with them. Offensive line wasn't quite as good as they needed it to be, so he's still trying to make that extra play. And sometimes that runs you into trouble. Especially when you're uber-talented as a young man is as he has. So sometimes you make throws you're not supposed to make.
"Matt Ryan got through college at Boston College with a lot of interceptions, but he had a group of receivers that none of them even went to a pro camp. So we have to balance some of the things we're looking at, and I do think a lot of it we can clean up a Drake Maye."
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After transferring out of Arizona State, Daniels played against far better competition in the SEC than Maye did in the ACC. Does this make Daniels an easier QB prospect to project?
"I don't worry about it with Maye because it's the ACC. Trevor Lawrence came out of the ACC and it wasn't hard to project he was the best quarterback in the draft," Davis said.
"... Daniels, Arizona State two years ago, you would have never projected him to be the number two or number three pick in this draft. It never would have come up. But the rise has been there. The SEC, you never turn it down."
Also in the episode: