Trade Down? Patriots' Jerod Mayo Reveals Thoughts on Quarterbacks in Draft

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo thinks five quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft can pan out in the NFL. Could that point to the Patriots trading down?

J.J McCarthy in the CFP National Championship Game / CFP/GettyImages

ORLANDO - In 31 days, how the New England Patriots view the quarterbacks in the 2024 Draft will ultimately come to light.

Until then, though, it's anyone's guess how New England will approach addressing its pressing need at the game's most important position. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo added more fuel to the fire with his comments at the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando, saying that there are more quarterbacks than he expected who could one day become a serviceable starter in the league.

"When I first started watching these guys, it was that three man race," Mayo said. "And now, as you continue to go to these pro days and bringing guys in on the 30 visits and having time to spend with those guys, to really get to know what makes them tick, I mean it's about five guys honestly that could come in and be a solid quarterback in the future."

J.J McCarthy in the CFP National Championship Game / CFP/GettyImages

With the No. 3 overall pick, New England is positioned to take the third quarterback off the board if they choose to stand pat. The Chicago Bears will presumably take Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, and Jayden Daniels has become the consensus betting favorite to go No. 2 overall to the Washington Commanders. That would leave the Patriots with Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy, who has skyrocketed up draft boards during the process.

Who the fifth quarterback could be in New England's eyes remains to be seen, though, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. are two other quarterbacks who could potentially go in the first round.

The Patriots have a bevy of needs, which is often the case for a team that went 4-13 and is picking at the top of the draft. If Mayo indeed views five quarterbacks as guys who can pan out, trading back and still landing one of the five isn't far-fetched.

The New York Giants (No. 6 pick), Minnesota Vikings (No. 11 and 23 pick), Denver Broncos (No. 12 pick) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13 pick) are four teams with a clear need at quarterback but currently find themselves on the outside looking in. Of the four teams, Minnesota has the most high-end draft capital. Acquiring the No. 11 and No. 23 pick could still give the Patriots a shot to land Nix or Penix while getting them a much-needed extra first-round pick to potentially address their needs at receiver or on the offensive line.

If there's a quarterback Mayo falls in love with, and they are there at No. 3, it'd be in the Patriots' best interest to stand pat and take their guy. But if New England thinks highly of five quarterbacks, looking into trading back to get more draft capital to address its needs should be among its options on April 25.