What should the Patriots do with the third overall pick?

New England has all options available to them.

The New England Patriots are close to making a franchise-altering decision with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft Thursday night. Speaking last week, director of scouting Eliot Wolf left all avenues open for the team as he explained they were “open for business” in the trade market while also being impressed by a “unique” class of quarterbacks.

While time will soon tell what New England decides to do in the first-round, the Pats Pulpit staff shared what they would do if the pick was in their own hands.

Brian Hines: Take Drake. My gut still tells me that Commanders general manager Adam Peters prefers the UNC quarterback, but there’s been plenty of smoke that Washington is trending towards Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick. If that’s the case, New England should turn the card in for Maye faster than they did for Christian Gonzalez last year.

Maye has all the traits teams covert in a QB prospect with his size, arm talent and athleticism. As Jerod Mayo said, “there really is no ceiling with a guy like that.”

Bernd Buchmasser: Stay put, draft QB Drake Maye. There is a chance the Commanders pick Maye one spot ahead, but with all signs continuing to point toward Jayden Daniels coming off the board at No. 2, the Patriots will likely have their pick between the UNC passer and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Both have intriguing traits, but there are two factors that tip the scales in favor of Maye versus both McCarthy and a trade down:

1.) His upside is immense, and you have to feel confident in the coaching staff you assembled to help him reach it. 2.) There is no guarantee you end up with either QB when trading down, even if you hope to move back up again.

Fact is, you cannot win in today’s NFL without top-tier quarterback play. The Patriots shouldn’t overthink this one and go with the top QB prospect on the board at that point.

Pat Lane: Drake Maye unless someone gets silly. The easiest path to relevance for an NFL franchise is to get a legit stud at quarterback. Drake Maye has the potential to be that guy, and, assuming the Patriots are sold on him, they should pull the trigger on him at No. 3 overall. This, obviously, is projecting Jayden Daniels to go to Washington the pick before the Patriots.

The only way I would consider a trade out is if someone gets silly. If Minnesota, or another team, offers you so much that it’s impossible to say no, then that changes things. As much as I like Maye, he’s still a projection, so getting a ridiculous haul, while it may not solve the quarterback problem, could solve a whole bunch of other problems. If it’s Daniels that is there, it might take a bit less to move out, but, barring a solid offer, I’m taking him as well.

Matt St. Jean: Maye or Move. Drake Maye is, in my eyes, clearly the second best QB prospect in this draft. If the Commanders let him fall to you at pick No. 3, you take Maye and don’t look back.

If Washington does take him, you try to play Minnesota, New York, Las Vegas, and whoever else off of one another to get the biggest trade back package. Once you move back, you use the remaining first-round pick(s) on the best offensive players on the board.

What do you think the Patriots should do in the first-round Thursday night? Leave a vote below and head to the comment section to further discuss the selection.