NFL Draft countdown: Focus on Patriots' first-round pick at No. 3

The 2024 NFL Draft is just three days away. The Texans took DE Will Anderson Jr. third overall in 2023. This year, the Patriots pick third with all eyes on the same talented Tar Heel.

As a two-year starter with North Carolina, Drake Maye twice led the ACC in passing to finish as the team’s all-time leading passer with 8,018 yards. Here’s why experts have him heading to Foxborough.

Fox Sports (Colin Cowherd)

Noting the Patriots had the worst scoring offense in the league last season (13.9 points per game), Cowherd thinks Maye could get off to a rough start. 

"It's not going to be pretty,” Cowherd says. “He'll probably sit until Thanksgiving behind Jacoby Brissett.”

That said, Cowherd still believes Maye is the guy. More importantly, he thinks this is the year to upgrade the quarterback spot.

“Next year's not a good quarterback draft. I think you've got to get him in-house. You can get receivers [in the] second, third, fourth [rounds] … but there's not going to be Drake Maye in the second, third … or perhaps next year.”

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Georgia’s Carson Beck and Texas Longhorn Quinn Ewers are widely considered the top quarterbacks in next year’s draft but things change quickly in college football.

NFL.com (Chad Reuter)

Reuter says if you can’t beat them, draft a similar quarterback: 

“The Patriots have taken a back seat to Josh Allen and the Bills in the AFC East since Tom Brady's departure in 2020. So you can't blame New England if it might want a physical, strong-armed passer like Maye, who can emulate the game of Buffalo's Pro Bowl passer.”

At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Maye is an inch shorter and seven pounds lighter than the Bills quarterback. Like Allen coming out of college, his biggest issue has been inconsistency. Maye looked spectacular throwing for 4,321 yards and 38 scores in 2022 but took a step back in 2023 with 3,608 yards and just 24 touchdowns.

He also threw 92 fewer passes last season but his completion percentage and quarterback rating also dropped. Allen did the same at Wyoming but figured things out in the NFL. Maye should do the same with New England.

CBS Sports (Tom Fornelli)

Fornelli loves Maye’s potential and his fit with New England:

“Drake Maye remains the No. 2 QB on my board, and while I've tinkered with the idea of the Patriots going different directions here in prior mocks, quarterback makes the most sense to me. Maye has plenty of kinks to work through (every rookie QB does), but his upside is sky-high.”