Despite months of mock draft speculation, the top of the 2024 NFL Draft has yet to be confirmed.That much was clear when ESPN’s Field Yates called off his first mock draft of the year and said there will be some confusion when the fourth round begins. Yates (as expected) took Caleb Williams from USC to the Chicago Bears no. Sent at 1. But at No. 2, it forced the Washington Chiefs to take LSU’s Jayden Daniels instead of North Carolina’s Drake May. Yates then asked the New England Patriots to take May with the third overall pick.
“At just 21 years old, the 6-foot-1, 230-pounder has the makings of an NFL passer,” Yates wrote. “Maye is a thrower when targeting the middle of the field, but also shows pocket agility to extend plays and has 16 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons. “As the Patriots enter a new era under Jerod Mayo, they can build a new offense around Mayo.
“This meant breaking with the consensus of the design community. For months, Williams and May were expected to finish in the top two. But Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner, has bolstered the draft boards and will now look to break the Daniels-May monopoly on the top two picks. Daniels is a dynamic dual-threat passer and a dangerous athlete to watch at quarterback. May is also an athlete, but in a different setting. He has the “prototypical” length you’d expect from a linebacker and has the potential to do damage from the pocket.
The Patriots have a golden opportunity to land one of the top three quarterbacks in this year’s draft. But we can’t waste because we’re back in third place. Instead, they rely on the whims of the team in front of them. Of course, the Patriots are set to acquire some major talent at quarterback. But as it stands, we can’t say much about what kind of talent they’ll have. If circumstances change at a higher level, as Yates predicted, this may mean a change in attitude towards that position.
