Patriots 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Roundup of B/R Staff, Kiper and Expert Picks

The New England Patriots are drafting a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick.

That has been the assumption since the AFC East side secured that selection at the end of the NFL regular season.

A majority of mock drafts have the Patriots landing a quarterback, but who that player is depends on the prediction.

LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye are the most likely selections. One of them will fall to the Patriots at No. 3 and the other will go to the Washington Commanders at No. 2.

The thought in most mock drafts is that the Patriots will build around Daniels or Maye in the second round or beyond. It is possible that the franchise lands multiple wide receivers to retool the depth chart.

Quarterback at No. 3

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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 11: Jayden Daniels #5 of the LSU Tigers throws the ball during the first half against the Florida Gators at Tiger Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Bleacher Report's NFL scouting department predicted Daniels would be the Patriots' selection at No. 3.

However, the Heisman Trophy winner is not a consensus selection across mock drafts at No. 3.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., NFL.com's Peter Schrager and The Athletic's Dane Brugler all predicted Maye would be the Patriots' pick.

"I think they're fine with whichever one falls to them," Schrager noted about the Maye-Daniels debate.

The Patriots need a first-round quarterback because of how bad the Mac Jones pick turned out.

There is still a bizarre scenario out there in which the Patriots either trade down to collect picks, or take Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 3, but there appears to be a slim chance of either move happening.

Wide Receiver Picks on Day 2

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 21: Malachi Corley #11 of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is tackled by Ke'Shun Brown #9 of the South Alabama Jaguars during the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome on December 21, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

All draft experts believe the Patriots will go after a wide receiver on Day 2.

B/R's NFL scouting department predicted Adonai Mitchell from Texas would be the second-round pick at No. 44 after a projected trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.

ESPN's Field Yates mocked Florida State's Keon Coleman and North Carolina's Devontez Walker to the Patriots in the second and third round in his mock draft collaboration with Kiper.

Brugler mocked Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley to the Patriots at No. 68 in the third round.

Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith Schuster, K.J. Osborn, Demario Douglas and Tyquan Thornton are currently on the Patriots' wide receiver depth chart.

They need at least one young pass-catcher to come in and build chemistry with Daniels for years to come.

Mitchell, Coleman, Walker and Corley would all be solid fits within the New England offense.

If the Patriots coaching staff believes the wide receiver group is not sufficient, they could retool the entire depth chart with two Day 2 selections, like Yates predicted.

Offensive Line Help Added on Day 2

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LAWRENCE, KS - SEPTEMBER 23: Brigham Young Cougars offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia (78) during a Big 12 football game between the Brigham Young Cougars and Kansas Jayhawks on Sep 23, 2023 at David Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Patriots' ideal draft class would feature a new starting quarterback, a flashy pass-catcher and a young offensive tackle to protect the new signal-caller.

Brugler believes BYU's Kingsley Suamataia will be the new lineman in the fold from the No. 34 overall pick.

B/R's NFL scouting department waited until the No. 68 for the Patriots to land Notre Dame's Blake Fisher.

Fisher is the less notable Notre Dame offensive lineman in the draft class since Joe Alt is expected to land in the top 10, but the Fighting Irish do have a long track record of producing solid professionals on the interior.

New England's offensive line pick is dependent on how many lineman are chosen in the first round compared to wide receivers. It may be wise to wait until the third round to choose a lineman to take advantage of the wide outs available at No. 34.