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Amid growing speculation that the New England Patriots could trade the No. 3 pick in the draft, team officials will meet with top quarterback prospect Jayden Daniels on Tuesday night.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the Patriots will “have a lengthy meeting” with Daniels. While Howe didn’t name who will be there from the Patriots, attendees from previous quarterback workouts could shed some light on that.
New England had offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, quarterback coach T.C. McCartney, and director of scouting Eliot Wolf in attendance for two quarterback prospects, based on Sports Illustrated writer Albert Breer’s reporting on March 20. That group attended former USC star Caleb Williams‘ workout, and Patriots head coach joined that crew for former Michigan star J.J. McCarthy‘s workout.
Daniels met with the Patriots once before at the NFL Combine in February. Mayo acknowledged a Zoom meeting with Daniels but didn’t talk at length about the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner during the annual NFL league meetings on Monday.
“I met him before. Look, those guys have pro days coming up here soon,” Mayo told reporters. “So when you think about the process, like when I leave here, I’m going to LSU and then when I leave LSU I’m going to Carolina before I get back home.”
“But you have to do your due diligence. And once again it’s not all about me it’s not all about Eliot. What you guys have heard me say a lot, it’s about collaboration,” Mayo continued.
Jerod Mayo Looks for Former NFL Wideout for Draft Input
Mayo also highlights a former NFL wide receiver and Patriots team scout who could greatly aid that collaboration.
“And one thing that Alonzo Highsmith, one of our scouts, told me and I truly believe it. He’s been doing it for a long time, and he said all the bad picks that he’s seen, it’s really been where everyone wasn’t on the same page,” Mayo said.
Highsmith, who played from from 1987 to 1992, has served in team front offices since 2012 except a one-year stint with the University of Miami in 2022. He notably served as vice president of player personnel for the Cleveland Browns when the team selected quarterback Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 pick in 2018.
A Patriots free agent target this offseason, Mayfield had an up-and-down time in Cleveland before the team traded him in 2022. This offseason brought an even more stark reminder of the fragility with top-tier quarterback prospects. All of the 2021 first-round quarterbacks found new teams, including former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.
“And you would hope that you could get everyone on the same page, coaches and also scouts,” Mayo said.
What Jayden Daniels Brings to the Table Amid Questions
Daniels took college football by storm in 2023 as he threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns plus 1,134 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns.
Standing 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Daniels has a slender frame, which has raised questions about his durability. That said, Daniels didn’t have major injury concerns in college, and his four-game season in 2020 with Arizona State came about because of the Pac-12 Conference’s handling of COVID-19.
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