Quarterback Draft: Will New England Patriots Help NFL History?

Never have four quarterbacks been the first four picks of an NFL Draft but the New England Patriots could help change that on April 25.

Talented NFL quarterbacks are always in demand. The 2024 NFL Draft is only weeks away and will have a chance to make history. There has never been four quarterbacks selected Nos. 1-4. 

The record for most quarterbacks selected in the first round goes to the 1983 NFL Draft, when six were picked off the board. It’s also possibly the best quarterbacks class of all-time with three Hall-Of-Famers and two of the highest-regarded quarterbacks ever. John Elway, Jim Kelly, Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino. 

Fast-forward to this season and there are six quarterbacks who could fly off the board in the first round, which would tie the record for most first-round signal-callers. 

The most-popular mock draft and the betting favorite order is: No. 1 Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears, No. 2 Jayden Daniels to the Washington Commanders and No. 3 Drake Maye to the New England Patriots. 

New England hopes to secure the potential franchise quarterback that they've been missing since Tom Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots hosted a "Top 30" prospect visit for Maye last week with a Daniels meeting slated for Monday and Tuesday, according to Sports Illustrated.

After the first three, top quarterbacks remaining on the board include J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix and Bo Nix. 

The Arizona Cardinals pick at No. 4 and the Los Angeles Chargers pick and No. 5 … Both which could receive plenty of calls from teams looking to move up for McCarthy. The Minnesota Vikings trade with the Chargers to draft McCarthy in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft. The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders also are in the market for a quarterback of the future. 

Penix and Nix could be excellent later first round selections for teams like the New York Giants or Los Angeles Rams. New York’s Daniel Jones and Los Angeles’ 36-year-old Matthew Stafford may need replacements. 

The Vikings are arguably the best situation for a rookie quarterback. Minnesota lost Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons but still have star playmakers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. 

History-making or not, this year’s first round is expected to be quarterback heavy and the Patriots will be in the thick of it.