Hallelujah, draft week is finally here!
As such many media analysts and outlets are putting forth their final mock drafts ahead of Thursday night’s real deal 2024 NFL Draft.
Many of those mocks hopefully are accurate in their assigning of North Carolina would-be franchise QB Drake Maye to the Patriots at the No. 3 overall selection.
Aside from some, as ESPN put it, “unexpected blockbuster trade offer,” Maye’s arrival in New England is the kind of event that could change the course of the franchise and should very much ignite hope in the fan base.
But there is one troubling part of Maye being mocked to the Patriots that keeps being bandied about, including via ESPN’s latest, hot-off-the-virtual-presses, 7-round undertaking.
In slotting Maye to New England, after Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels go with the first two picks, ESPN has some troubling and alarming reasoning for its pick.
“With Jacoby Brissett already on the roster, this would be an ideal landing spot for Maye,” ESPN writes. “The Patriots could be patient and let him develop as they continue to build up the offense.”
Huh?
With all due respect, Brissett should have absolutely nothing to do with the No. 3 pick. With Maye. With any franchise-altering, future-founding decisions that Eliot Wolf, Jerod Mayo and the collective new-age New England collaborative are about to make.
Brissett is what he is. A bridge. A seat-filler. A mentor. A fallback.
But he’s not relevant to this week or this critical call.
The only thing that should matter is whether Maye is the guy. Whether he has the potential and ceiling to be anything close to the NFL studs he’s most often compared to – Justin Herbert and Josh Allen.
And there is no shame for Brissett, who’s carved out a nice journeyman NFL career for himself as a former third-round pick of the Patriots. He enters his ninth professional season very much worth the one-year, $8 million deal he got in New England. His knowledge of first-year Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and whatever his Cleveland-based system is will be an asset.
He’s the perfect guy for the job right now because of who he seemingly is or more accurately isn’t – not a guy who likely still thinks he’s an NFL starter. Comfortable being the backup or the fill-in, as needed.
Brissett didn’t start a game a year ago in Washington. Has never had a winning record in any season in which he started games.
“We feel like if we end up drafting a quarterback high, he is someone that can support that player and would be a positive influence on them, while competing with them,” Wolf said of Brissett in his recent pre-draft press conference.
That’s true. Brissett can compete. Might even win the opening day starting job.
But, no offense – which means likely offensive words are to follow -- no one wants to see Brissett start more than a handful of games for the Patriots in 2024. If any.
He certainly isn’t the reason to take a quarterback who might need some developmental time to season. This isn’t Kansas City circa 2017 and Brissett is certainly no Alex Smith.
He’s more like Nathan Peterman or Tyrod Taylor. Just a guy to run out there until Da Man is ready to go. Allen, who was about as raw out of Wyoming as they come, took over as a rookie starter in Buffalo in Week 2 of 2018. Herbert had to step in for Taylor after a medical mishap in Week 2 of 2019. Neither ever looked back.
So while it’s great that Brissett is in place to help whichever rookie QB lands in New England this week -- #TakeDrake – he should in no way play any sniff of a role in the actual decision for Wolf & Co.
The guy taken No. 3 overall must be selected on his own merits, skill set, talents and upside.
Brissett will be expected to be a true professional and help that guy in any way he can. That, not playing time, passes or snaps taken in game action, will be Brissett’s greatest contribution to the present and the future of the Patriots. He might just be the perfect guy for that job.
And if Wolf takes the right guy on draft night, he’ll be capable of dealing with everything that’s thrown his way as a rookie, including plenty of playing time.
Because when you get drafted No. 3 overall. When you join a team that won four games the prior season and hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in recent years. When you are expected to be the future of the franchise and the centerpiece of entertainment value for a frustrated fan base.
Well, you pretty much have to play as a rookie. It’s all about you. Not your journeyman veteran backup and mentor. Everybody, including Brissett, needs to realize that.