The New England Patriots have thus far held onto the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft despite speculation and rumors they may trade down if they are not enamored with any of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft. But new head coach Jerod Mayo said at the NFL’s annual meetings Sunday that the Patriots are still evaluating their options with their first-round pick and have not ruled out a potential trade down.

 “Obviously, quarterback is definitely a priority. With that being said, we’re still open to any type of deals that come our way,” Mayo told ESPN. “We’re very far [into] the process, but we still have a long way to go. Definitely feel like we have time to really nail down our prospects in who we are going to go after.”

All eyes in New England are on Mayo and top front office executive Eliot Wolf, who are taking over for head coach/general manager Bill Belichick after the future Hall of Famer’s 24-year run in the dual role that included all six of the Super Bowl titles in Patriots franchise history. Mayo and Wolf were among several Patriots staffers present at the pro days of USC’s Caleb Williams and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, two of the quarterbacks considered among the top four in this year’s class. The pro days for the other two, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels, have not yet taken place.

Caleb Williams & Drake Maye in Joel Klatt’s 2024 mock draft 2.0

If the Patriots keep their pick, they are likely to select whichever one of Maye or Daniels is not selected by the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall, with the Chicago Bears widely expected to take Williams with the first overall pick. As Mayo touched on in his comments to ESPN, the Patriots have a hole at quarterback after trading struggling 2023 starter Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Right now, New England has journeyman Jacoby Brisett, in his second stint with the team, atop its quarterback depth chart.

“But … you have to really be in love with the guy to take him at No. 3. So really all the options are still open for us,” Mayo told NFL Media.

Mayo also praised Brissett, whom the Patriots initially drafted in 2016, and told NFL Media the veteran could “absolutely” be the team’s starting quarterback next season. Brissett also was with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, where he spent time with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. 

Mayo also confirmed the team heavily pursued free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley to add a dynamic pass-catcher that New England has sorely lacked in recent seasons. Ridley wound up signing with the Tennessee Titans on a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million guaranteed.

If the Patriots do trade back in the NFL Draft, the New York Giants at No. 6 overall and the Minnesota Vikings at No. 11 overall seem like the most logical trade partners. Minnesota also recently added the No. 23 overall pick in a trade with the Houston Texans, giving them another first-rounder to possibly trade up with.

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