The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft concluded on Thursday and the New England Patriots just selected a quarterback that could possibly be their next big star. Drafted as the third overall pick, Drake Maye will be suiting up under Jerod Mayo to begin a new era of Patriots football. This was actually predicted by many to happen. Nevetheless, rumor has it that other teams interested in Maye tried to sway the Pats into giving up their number-three pick.
According to NFL insider Albert Breer, the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants made trade offers to the Patriots in hopes of landing the highly-touted quarterback. The Vikings offered the 11th and 23rd picks, as well as their 2025 first-round selection, with pick swaps favoring Minnesota as part of the proposal. The Giants, on the other hand, set their 2025 first-round pick on the table.
New England would not budge, however. Breer adds that “nothing came close” to garnering the Patriots' interest. Additionally, the insider also stated that the offers only “emboldened New England to stay put” since Kevin O’Connell and Brian Daboll were the coaches taking a liking to Maye.
The Vikings land draft deals
The Vikings eventually secured two trades nonetheless. Agreeing to a deal with the New York Jets, Minnesota was able to move up to number 10 and select Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy. Furthermore, the team secured the 17th pick to draft Alabama EDGE rusher Dallas Turner.
It'll be interesting to see how McCarthy fares with Justin Jefferson and the newly-signed Aaron Jones this coming season. Turner, conversely, will be joining a Vikings defense that's recently acquired a number of new faces.
As for the Giants, they remained put at 6th and drafted LSU wideout Malik Nabers. While Nabers is definitely a promising talent, New York still has a quarterback issue to address, and it remains to be seen what they'll do to find a franchise thrower.
Drake Maye begins a new chapter with the Patriots
Going back to the Patriots, Maye will be utilizing weapons such as DeMario Douglas, Rhamondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry and Kendrick Bourne to begin his NFL career. He'll be replacing Mac Jones, whose tenure in New England hasn't panned out well.
Playing for a decorated franchise like the Patriots is no easy task. With a fanbase that's used to nothing but victories in the past decade, Maye has a tough task ahead of him. The recent seasons have been rough, so it'll be the perfect opportunity for the 21-year-old to turn the team around and become the new hometown hero.
Whether or not his game translates to the pros is yet to be seen, but right now, Drake Maye looks promising. In three seasons with North Carolina, the QB amassed 8,018 passing yards and 63 touchdowns on a 64.9 completion percentage. He also ran for a total of 1,209 yards and an additional 16 scores.
With a new coach and a potential franchise player, fans surely hope that the Patriots are one step closer to bringing back the glory days.
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