The New England Patriots desperately need a franchise QB, and the 2024 NFL Draft class could be where they find him, but de-facto GM Eliot Wolf might operate unconventionally. Here is more of the quote from Wolf:
Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said that the team is “open for business” to trade the No. 3 pick in next week’s draft, but would be comfortable staying put and selecting a quarterback from what he called a “unique” class.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 18, 2024
Story via @MikeReiss:https://t.co/JtBiYbbGvJ
This is pretty significant, because as far as I can tell, the third overall pick, which is the pick the Patriots have in the first round, is currently the highest pick in which a team could be willing to move back. There has been plenty of conversation about team like the Arizona Cardinals or Los Angeles Chargers, who pick at four and five, about moving back, but the third pick is quite valuable.
The quarterback class this year is quite deep, with as many as six QBs potentially going in the first round. The top three QBs, at least the consensus top three appear to be Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye. After that, JJ McCarthy, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr are the next tier down.
A team wanting to trade up into New England's spot is surely going to take a QB, so Wolf would really have to see if it's even worth it to move down, especially if an AFC team is wanting to move up. And furthermore, the potential haul that the Pats could get from moving down could be too good to pass up. With how many roster holes are left for the Patriots, Wolf trading out doesn't sound too crazy.
And if he does indeed field offers, and even just right now, his actions could have huge, monumental impacts on the rest of the draft. There's also the dependence on how much the Pats like a certain QB. If they've fallen in love with someone, there'd be no need to move down from three.
If they like but don't love a small handful of QBs, that could allow them to move down. Whew. I'm out of breath just thinking about all the possibilities. De-facto GM Eliot Wolf could truly have a huge influence in about a week.