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The New England Patriots‘ de facto general manager, Eliot Wolf, is making waves in the NFL draft rumor mill. According to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, Wolf advocates strongly for Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The Sportskeeda and former PFF NFL draft expert recently published his latest mock draft. The Patriots pick was a bit of a surprise, but Pauline’s reasoning behind the pick was a bit more eye-opening.
“I’m not big on McCarthy being a top-10 selection, but the UM signal caller to New England was the buzz on the pro-day circuit. De facto general manager Eliot Wolf is pushing hard for McCarthy, and he believes he has as much upside as any quarterback in the draft”, Pauline wrote in his mock draft.
Patriots insider, announcer, and former quarterback Scott Zolak even said he was wrong in his evaluation of McCarthy and that the Patriots are “in the mix” for the Michigan QB.
With the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Patriots can shake up the draft board significantly by selecting McCarthy over other highly touted prospects like Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. But will McCarthy be available at No. 3?
What Will Happen After No. 1 Overall?
While Caleb Williams is widely expected to be taken by the Chicago Bears at No. 1, that leaves Maye and Daniels as the consensus best options. The Patriots could be poised to make a surprising move if reports of their interest in McCarthy hold. Despite the initial consensus that Williams, Maye, and Daniels are the top quarterbacks, McCarthy’s recent standout performances at the NFL Scouting Combine and Michigan’s Pro Day have catapulted him into contention.
And what happens if the Patriots aren’t totally in love with Daniels, Maye, or McCarthy? The draft haul that has been thrown around for which the Patriots could receive if they decide to trade pick No. 3 is undoubtedly enticing, especially for a team in the middle of a rebuild. Some believe the Patriots are intentionally tying themselves to McCarthy to drive up the price of the No. 3 pick for trade purposes.
It’s important to note that the Patriots are not completely controlling their quarterback destiny. With the Washington Commanders holding the second overall pick, they can select Maye, Daniels, or McCarthy themselves, potentially altering New England’s plans.
The Commanders Linked to Multiple QBs at No. 2
In the weeks leading up to the NFL draft, the Commanders have been linked to multiple quarterbacks, including McCarthy. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has ignited speculation within league circles by suggesting that Adam Peters, the general manager of the Washington Commanders, may be leaning towards selecting Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
“It’ll be really interesting because everybody’s always trying to figure out, especially at the top of the draft, what the other teams are doing,” Pelissero said from the owners’ meetings. “When we’ve had conversations here with executives for other teams who know Adam Peters well, who know the situation well, the most popular answer for what they do at No. 2 is J.J. McCarthy. So, a lot of drama still to come.”
If you ask the Las Vegas oddsmakers who the Commanders are most likely to take, they’ve set LSU quarterback and reigning Heisman trophy winner Jayden Daniels as the favorite to head to Washington.
Daniels’ head coach at LSU seems to think he’s heading to Washington as well. Whether it was a Freudian slip of the tongue or if Brian Kelly has inside information was never really clarified. But he clearly stated that he believed Daniels would play in Washington next season.
Everyone seems to have strong reasons to believe they have the inside track on which teams are high on certain quarterbacks at the top of the draft. There is no arguing that McCarthy going in the top three picks of the draft would be a bit of a surprise, as he was seemingly the consensus fourth-rated quarterback just a few weeks ago.
As it has been all along, the Patriots must get the most out of this No. 3 overall pick. Whether they decide to take a quarterback or trade down to receive a massive draft capital haul, the organization’s future needs the Patriots executives to get this one right.
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