Rejoice, Pats Nation! For the interminable wait leading up to NFL Draft Day 2024, which has seemed a few days longer than forever, is finally over. The Patriots will soon be on the clock and what owner Robert Kraft has described as the most important draft for the franchise in decades is nigh.
Much has been made for months about what the Patriots will do with the third overall pick. The majority speculation for ages has been to take a quarterback, like North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
However, if you’re looking for Pats director of scouting/de facto GM Eliot Wolf to tip his hand as to the team’s plans, you’ll have to look or listen elsewhere.
In his final pre-draft comments, Wolf, in speaking to Patriots radio color commentator Scott Zolak, said he has been quite busy preparing to run his first draft for the six-time Super Bowl-winning franchise, but that he feels he has a lot of support and his team is well-prepared for multiple scenarios.
As to what happens when the Pats are finally on the clock, Wolf said he isn’t sure what the Washington Commanders will do at second overall, though he’s aware of “whispers out there” that LSU QB Jayden Daniels could be their man.
This would leave the much mock-drafted UNC QB Drake Maye for the Pats’ taking at third overall. Several teams reportedly covet the big-bodied signal-caller, and Wolf didn’t deny that interest from other teams has been high.
“We’ve received calls on our first several picks from a couple different teams,” he said, though he didn’t obviously list which teams (the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings presumably being atop that list).
He further added that the inquiries were “nothing too serious yet.” Though some social media insiders now believe the Patriots could have other plans than the most obvious one tonight.
Wolf, who was thoughtfully profiled this week by the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, will bring his patient and calm manner to a draft for a team that has needs well beyond who’s under center. He calls this “a deep draft at a lot of the skill positions”, so for those looking for dynamic answers at receiver, tight end and running back, you may have to wait until Day 2 or even Day 3 Friday and Saturday.
It’s like waiting for football Christmas, and hopefully tonight Pats Nation is rewarded with the answer or player(s) they’ve been following, coveting and researching for weeks. Just don’t expect any hints from the man running the show. He too has been waiting for this opportunity for quite a while and could very well take all the time necessary, right down to the last minute, to make the call or trade the pick and do what’s in the best interest of the football team.