Should Patriots consider this hypothetical trade package for No. 1 pick?
Should Patriots consider this hypothetical trade package for No. 1 pick? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots haven’t owned the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft since 1993 when they took Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe. In many ways, that selection was a turning point for the struggling franchise.
Could they explore a move up to the No. 1 pick in 2024?
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is the consensus No. 1 ranked prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has all the physical tools scouts love. He’s also able to improvise and throw from outside the pocket, even drawing comparisons to Patrick Mahomes in that regard
The Patriots badly need a quarterback. Neither Mac Jones nor Bailey Zappe represent a good short- or long-term solution at the position. The Patriots will be able to get one of the three top-tier QB prospects — Williams, UNC’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels — with the No. 3 pick.
But what if they value Williams so much that a trade with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick makes sense? What would be the cost to make that kind of move up in the draft order?
ESPN’s Field Yates talked with people around the league and came up with three hypothetical trade packages for the top pick, one involving the Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons and Patriots.
Here is the package he created for the Patriots:
- Patriots receive: No. 1 pick
- Bears receive: No. 3 pick, 2024 second-round pick (No. 34 overall), 2025 first-round pick
That’s an extraordinary price to pay to move up only two spots. Giving up the No. 34 overall pick would hurt the Patriots’ ability to surround Williams with enough talent on offense, particularly at offensive tackle and wide receiver. This draft is considered pretty deep at offensive tackle, with possibly eight or 10 players expected to go in the first two rounds. New England would miss out on those tackles if they dealt their second-rounder.
The loss of a 2025 first-round pick would hurt quite a bit, too, especially if the Patriots are not a playoff team next season. Even if Williams is the real deal as a rookie, it’s unlikely the Patriots sneak into the playoffs in a highly competitive AFC.
What if Williams doesn’t play well as a rookie and the team struggles? The Carolina Panthers gave up a ton, including their 2024 first-round pick, to move up to No. 1 in a deal with the Bears before the 2023 draft. The Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who struggled in Year 1 as Carolina fell to the bottom of the standings. The Bears wound up with the No. 1 pick as a result. The Panthers now are unable to use that pick to give Young’s offense the infusion of high-end talent it desperately needs.
The Patriots cannot afford to fall into that same situation as the Panthers. Yes, Williams is an exciting talent and could be a great quarterback for a long time. But is he so much better than Maye and Daniels that it makes sense to sacrifice a high second-round pick and a future first-rounder to draft him? No, that’s not the case.
NFL draft expert shares bold claim on Caleb Williams as QB prospect
NFL draft expert shares bold claim on Caleb Williams as QB prospect originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
If you’ve spent any amount of time reading analysis, watching videos or listening to podcasts about 2024 NFL draft prospect Caleb Williams and you’ve probably come across the term “generational talent.” The incoming rookie from USC is one of the most highly-touted quarterbacks entering the draft in recent memory. Most pundits agree he’ll be the first player selected in the draft, and most agree that it’ll be the Bears who pick him.
On Wednesday, NFL draft expert Joel Klatt contextualized the level of hype around Williams compared to other QB prospects who have come out of the draft over the past 10+ years.
There have been several “no-doubt” QB prospects recently, like Burrow. However, no QB has surpassed the universal acclaim that was heaped on Luck when he left Stanford in 2012. So dubbing Williams the top prospect since Luck is really saying something.
Williams is held in such high regard because his ceiling extends past the stratosphere into deep space. His upside to make big plays on every single snap can make any offensive coordinator drool, and strike fear into the heart of any defensive coordinator. He’s a threat to score with his legs, has a top-notch deep ball and can turn busted plays into explosive gains with his off-script improvisations.
But Williams isn’t just dangerous on explosive passes or when he extends a play. He’s effective and accurate when making timing and rhythm based plays. If everything goes right on offense, he can pick apart a defense. When things go wrong on offense, he can still pick apart a defense.
There are plenty of great things to say about Williams, but not much bad. Ball security issues cropped up with nine fumbles this season, but over the breadth of his career, Williams has taken very good care of the football. That’s why most folks trying to poke holes in his resume often resort to pointing out ridiculous “negatives” that are completely unrelated to his ability or character, like the fact that he paints his nails. Others try to read the tea leaves of teammates’ comments.
Taking a look at the full picture, however, it’s not hard to see why Klatt would consider Williams the top QB prospect since Luck.
Patriots take elite skill position player in NFL Network’s new mock draft
Patriots take elite skill position player in NFL Network’s new mock draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
It’s officially mock draft season, and while many experts believe USC quarterback Caleb Williams will go No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, the rest of the top 10 is still very much a guessing game and could unfold in so many different ways.
You could argue the upcoming draft really begins with the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall. They badly need a quarterback, and their choice between UNC’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels might set the course for the rest of the top 10 picks.
A lot of experts, based on recent mock drafts, see Williams, Maye and Daniels all being selected in the top three, but not everyone is taking that position right now.
NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah released his second 2024 NFL mock draft on Tuesday. Not only does Jeremiah have the Patriots passing on a quarterback and taking Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 3 pick, he also projects Daniels sliding all the way to the New York Giants at No. 6 overall. He has LSU wideout Malik Nabers going to the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 4 pick, and Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt going to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5 overall.
If the Patriots aren’t super confident in any of the quarterbacks available at No. 3 turning into franchise players, then they shouldn’t be pressured to take one. It’s OK to draft Harrison, who is the No. 2 rated prospect on most 2024 draft big boards and probably the player most likely to have a very good or elite pro career.
The Patriots could also look at the free agent market for a top wideout. The group of wide receivers in the 2024 free agent class is very strong, and could feature notable names such as Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, Michael Pittman Jr., Calvin Ridley, Marquise Brown and Gabe Davis.
Either way, the Patriots have to upgrade their wide receiver depth chart in a significant way this offseason. Harrison is the cheapest way to do it because he’d be on a rookie contract for five years. But taking a wide receiver with the No. 3 pick also makes upgrading at quarterback much more difficult because the free agent market is pretty weak at that position.
