the greg hill show: Wiggy's path to trading for the number 1 overall pick in the draft
Hello and welcome in to 2024 NFL mock draft season.
With the Patriots holding the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft, this offseason is one of the most critical in New England football history. So in turn, we'll have you covered all winter and spring long here at WEEI and WEEI.com with the latest mock drafts (including our own) across the NFL world, with plenty of prospect coverage sprinkled in as well.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN's NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. dropped his inaugural mock of the 2024 offseason. With a bit of a twist at the top, he has the Chicago Bears selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 and the Washington Commanders taking LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2.
Here's who he has the Patriots taking at No. 3, and why:
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Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
"It's a total makeover in New England, which will have a new coach and front office structure for the first time since Bill Belichick joined the organization in 2000. New coach Jerod Mayo, whose background is on defense, inherits a total mess on offense. The Patriots ranked second to last in the league in offensive points per game (12.9) and their offensive line ranked last in pass block win rate (43.5%). Linemen Trent Brown and Mike Onwenu and tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki are among the team's free agents. What better way to start a new era -- and possible offensive rebuild-- than to take an elite quarterback at the top of the draft?
Maye had some ups and downs in 2023, but he's an outstanding deep-ball thrower in a 6-foot-4 frame. He takes care of the football and has some dual-threat ability. There's a ton to like in his potential. And while the Bears might struggle with the decision to move on from their first-round quarterback picked in the 2021 draft, the Patriots shouldn't agonize much. Mac Jones has regressed enough to make that an easy call this offseason. Quarterback is by far New England's biggest need."
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If Maye does end up being the pick for the Patriots, he'll have a brand new offensive coordinator at the helm as the team embarked on an offensive coordinator search this week following Bill O'Brien's official departure from Foxborough last Thursday.
New England seemingly has their eyes set on a Sean McVay/West Coast-adjacent offense in 2024 as they met with Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley on Monday and have interviews scheduled with both Rams passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson and Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher on Tuesday.
After Jerod Mayo told WBZ following his introductory press conference last week that the Patriots will "draft the best player for a position that's very important", he clarified to WEEI's The Greg Hill Show on Monday that they'll "take the best available player for the biggest position of need."
Whether that's a quarterback obviously remains to be seen, but Maye would be seen by many as a slam dunk selection.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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