With the third overall pick in the quickly approaching 2024 NFL Draft, it has been widely assumed that the New England Patriots will select a quarterback to help halt the team’s concerning downward trajectory.
For months, Patriots supporters have been mostly operating under the assumption that Caleb Williams, the quarterback for USC and former Heisman Trophy winner, will go first overall to the Chicago Bears, and that New England will proceed with either Jayden Daniels, the quarterback from LSU, or Drake Maye, the signal caller from UNC.
But one quarterback potential in particular has gained momentum in relation to the Patriots, and this trend appears to be unpopular with Patriots supporters. J.J. McCarthy, the quarterback for Michigan, has been more and more associated with New England in recent weeks due to a rush of rumors indicating that the Patriots may have him considerably higher.
Many pundits who were at first dubious of the McCarthy hype train have since recanted their earlier rejection of the idea that McCarthy might be selected among the top three choices.
Former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who also serves as New England’s radio color analyst and co-host of Zolak & Bertrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub, “apologized” for disparaging McCarthy in his previous assessments of the quarterback following McCarthy’s pro day. Following up his “apology,” Zolak—who is obviously well-connected from his playing days and his commentator role on the radio broadcast—said on Wednesday that it “wouldn’t shock him” if the Patriots did, in the end, decide to choose McCarthy at three.
Charles Robinson, a senior NFL reporter for Yahoo Sports, confirmed what Holley had reported namely that McCarthy might be the Patriots’ best quarterback—better than Caleb Williams.
McCarthy has been a contentious prospect, with many detractors labeling him as a “system quarterback” and citing the formidable talent level of his Michigan squad. McCarthy wasn’t even considered one of the top 50 NFL Draft prospects going into the previous year’s college season.
The inclusion of McCarthy as a dark horse possibility has not gone down well with the New England fan base, who have viewed the third overall choice as effectively a two-man contest between Maye and Daniels since the start of the offseason.
NBC Sports In a few surveys conducted over the previous several days, Boston tried to gauge the sentiment of Patriots supporters toward McCarthy. In a survey, supporters were asked, “Which quarterback, outside Caleb Williams, would you most like the Pats to draft?” With 56% of the vote, Drake Maye was the clear winner, followed by Daniels (21%), McCarthy (13%), and others. Bo Nix only garnered 2% of the vote, compared to Michael Penix Jr.’s 8% in the poll.
“Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels go 1-2, which QB should the Patriots draft at #3?” was the question posed to voters in another survey. Drake Maye led the poll once more with 62% of the vote, while J.J. McCarthy received the remaining 38%.
Though it doesn’t sound like Patriots supporters are all that excited about the concept just yet, the Patriots may be starting to warm up to the prospect of selecting J.J. McCarthy with the third overall pick.
