Mac Jones Jeopardy? New England Patriots Scouting Top 2024 QB Prospects
The New England Patriots find themselves in uncharted waters, sitting at the bottom of the AFC with a record of 2-6.
With the postseason looking more and more like a pipe dream, it's no surprise that New England's eyes on the future, at least partly. The Patriots currently have a Top 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and the consensus is that they will use the pick on their quarterback of the future, replacing the struggling Mac Jones.
According to SI's Albert Breer, the Patriots have been closely scouting most of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft, not that that comes as much of a surprise. The one exception is USC's Caleb Williams, the consensus No. 1 pick in the draft, but Breer expects that to change very soon.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick with North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, one of the top prospects in the 2024 draft.
"I can tell you guys for a fact the Patriots have had live game exposure -- and remember, you have to make decisions on where you go with your scouts -- they've had live game exposure to every one of the top quarterbacks except Caleb Williams," Breer said on NBC Sports Boston's Sports Sunday. "I'm sure they'll get to Caleb soon. So they are taking a very hard look at these guys."
Per NFL.com, the Patriots currently hold the No. 5 pick in the 2024 draft. The catch is that none of the teams ahead of them, being the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and Chicago Bears (twice), have a need at quarterback, at least not one as pressing as New England's.
"I think it's reflective of where they are, too," Breer added. "Mac Jones, maybe you give him another year, but he hasn't played well enough where if you have the second pick or third pick or the fourth pick, you're going to pass on one of those quarterbacks because (Jones) is here."
The Patriots used a first-round pick, No. 15 overall, on Jones in 2021, but despite a solid rookie campaign, the Alabama product has noticeably declined in the past two years. That's not all his fault, as the coaches and personnel around him certainly shoulders some blame, but Jones' lack of development has been concerning nonetheless.
After Williams, the top quarterback prospect is North Carolina's Drake Maye, a gunslinger with elite arm talent. Other potential first-round picks include Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr., although both are on the older side.
One thing's for sure, the Patriots will have no shortage of options at quarterback if they do decide to go that route in April.
