6 rings One-Off Wednesday: Does history matter when drafting a quarterback?
The seemingly interminable wait for the 2024 NFL Draft is almost over, as the much ballyhooed event is just three weeks away. Insiders, analysts and fans have been trying to guess for months as to exactly who will go where and to which landing spot. Fans in New England especially have “mock draft fatigue” since the team was out of the playoff race so early into the 2023 season. Well, all parties may soon get just what they want, and one prominent NFL insider may have laid out how the top of the draft will take shape, which should be of great interest to fans in Pats Nation.
On the latest episode of his podcast, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter discussed how sees the beginning of the 2024 NFL Draft taking shape, noting that USC quarterback Caleb Williams, long the frontrunner to go first overall, will be taken by the Bears. This is where things could get interesting as two more QBs could well go next, second and third overall. This is where Schefter’s informed speculation becomes very intriguing. “I now we’re not supposed to spoil picks and we'll see how the Commanders decide to move forward with the number two overall selection, but a little over a few weeks out to me I think the signs continue to point to Jayden Daniels being the second overall pick.”
This proclamation may not surprise many as Daniels has been mocked by one and many to go second overall to Washington. However, hearing it from Schefter adds extra weight and validity as he’s as well connected as any insider or reporter in the football business. He also adds that the Las Vegas Raiders are interested in Daniels, but they may not have the assets needed to trade up to second overall.
What’s of most interest in New England is If what he “pencils in” comes true at two, then that would leave the Patriots with a clear shot at third overall to take their QB of the future, potentially Drake Maye out of North Carolina. This would be music to the ears of many fans, while taking Michigan’s JJ McCarthy third overall would not be as well received by the fans. Recent reports had McCarthy high on Eliot Wolf’s radar, but there’s nothing confirmed to date.
For what it’s worth, Schefter adds he believes that with Daniels gone the Patriots would likely take Maye at three, but stopped short of guaranteeing it. And in just three short weeks we’ll find out once and for all what’s what. For now, this latest nugget from the most prominent insider has to leave Pats fans who want the big Tarheel to come to Foxboro and be their next QB feeling like it just Maye happen.
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