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Patriots' Open to Trading No. 3 Pick: Insider Urges Broncos to Pounce
The New England Patriots may(e) have thrown the Denver Broncos a lifeline.
In approximately one week, all the hot takes, mock drafts, and projections about the first round of the 2024 NFL draft will have been put to bed. Broncos Country will have their answer as to which premium prospect Sean Payton deems worthy of a first-round pick.
Various philosophies continue to be debated about the Denver Broncos taking the best player available at No. 12 overall, to trading back and picking up more capital. Then there’s the possibility that the Broncos take a massive risk by moving up the board to land a quarterback within the top 5.
With New England Patriots executive Eliot Wolf revealing on Thursday that he's "open" to trading back, the floodgates have opened on the possibility of the Broncos battling their way into the top 3 of the draft.
This development could put previously out-of-reach blue-chip quarterbacks like LSU's Jayden Daniels and UNC's Drake Maye in play for Denver. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio recently joined 104.3 The FAN's Schlereth and Evans and described the increasingly red-hot competition between QB-needy teams this spring.
“I think there are seven teams in the hunt, in the top 12 for a quarterback. Seven. I think, if Washington takes Jayden Daniels at [No.] 2, and I’d be shocked if they did not—shocked. I think the Patriots' pick (No.3) is open for business. I think it’s on sale at that point," Paolantonio told The FAN.
While that may sound like a bit of a pipe dream, it’s important to remember that Payton’s draft history reveals his preference to trade up in the draft rather than trade back. Payton completed 21 total trades in his 16 years with the New Orleans Saints, including five trade-ups in the first round. Payton has never traded back in the first round.
Paolantonio praised USC's Caleb Williams and Daniels as the presumptive top-two picks to start off Round 1, mentioning that, along with the Broncos, the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants could also be in conversations with New England for the No. 3 pick.
“The Broncos need a quarterback for a lot of reasons. You’ve got to put the lights back on in that stadium. You need a quarterback more than anything to settle down that team and that fan base,” Paolantonio told The FAN.
Denver is still reeling from Russell Wilson’s consequential release, which resulted in a record-setting $85 million in dead money on the salary cap that will carry through 2025. So, if Williams and Daniels are off the board and Denver made a deal with New England for the No. 3 overall pick, who’s the guy Payton covets?
“Drake Maye is worth getting in the top half of the first round. I don’t think it’s an oversell, I don’t think it’s a reach. I think he’s perfect, perfect for the Broncos. You can have Jarrett Stidham start a few games. Maye can sit on the bench and learn; he can go through the boot camp of Sean Payton, and he’ll be ready by November. Then in 2025, you’ve got a young starter in Drake Maye on a rookie contract for a while," Paolantonio revealed.
Maye, 21, is coming off an impressive redshirt sophomore campaign at North Carolina and has become an intriguing prospect, to say the least. His prototypical 6-foot-4, 223-pound frame and elite arm talent have solidified him as a top-3 prospect entering next week’s draft.
Last season at Chapel Hill, Maye recorded 3,608 passing yards and 24 touchdowns with nine interceptions, along with 449 rushing yards and nine additional scores on the ground. He’s often described as a fearless, athletic passer with a gunslinger mentality who has drawn mixed reviews from scouts.
‘Sal Pal’ quickly pointed out various needs that could also command the Broncos' attention in the NFL draft, including holes on Vance Joseph’s defense, a unit that struggled to produce sacks and pressures, not to mention its inability to stop the run.
Still, the veteran ESPN insider remained emphatic that the Broncos can’t afford to miss on the Tarheel signal-caller next Thursday.
“You’ve got a lot of things you’ve got to fix so you need a guy on a rookie contract for a while. In my view even though you have a lot of needs, it’s worth going up to get Drake Maye if you can go get him at 3," Paolantonio said.
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