So much for the pre-draft drama.
New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo announced at a draft party, merely an hour away from the team being on the clock, that the Patriots are taking a player with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The team has been listening to trade offers, but up to this point, they haven’t had the offer that would make them budge from what has been looked at as a rare position in the draft.
They’re sitting at No. 3 with a chance to take one of the top-three quarterbacks on the board. So it was always going to be a situation where another team would have to wow them to get them to move down. That obviously hasn’t happened yet.
Mayo also teased a possible trade up scenario for the Patriots late in the first round.
“I hope you are excited as I am to start putting the team together and getting out there on the field,” said Mayo, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “We’re going to get a great player at 3. It’s going to be early. And we can always sneak back into the first round.”
Jerod Mayo at Patriots draft party: “I hope you are excited as I am to start putting the team together and getting out there on the field.
“We’re going to get a great player at 3. It’s going to be early. And we can always sneak back into the first round.”
Tells people to stick… pic.twitter.com/ZVWJdu5G2g
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 25, 2024
The Patriots trading back up was always a possibility with the team owning the No. 34 overall pick in the draft. If they do take a quarterback at No. 3, one would think they’d be coming up for either a wide receiver or offensive tackle, depending on what players are available.
Keep in mind, things can always change. The Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and any other teams in pursuit of a trade still have time to change the Patriots’ mind.
Yet, the possibility of that happening is seeming far less likely.