Patriots coach Jerod Mayo is scheduled to meet with reporters early Monday morning at the NFL’s annual meetings in Orlando, Florida.
It appears he wanted to get something off his chest first.
In a Sunday interview with the NFL Network, Mayo said the Patriots’ “priority” is to take a quarterback with the third overall pick, but they continue to weigh their options a month out from the NFL Draft.
“It’s the priority right now,” Mayo said. “But with that being said, you have to really be in love with the guy to take him at No. 3. So really all the options are still open for us.”
Mayo has previously said the Patriots will take the best available player, likely at quarterback, receiver or offensive line. He identified all three positions as major needs after his introductory press conference in mid-January. The Patriots have since added external free agents to each position, though none of them are regarded as impact starters.
Once they’re on the clock, the Pats will be able to select one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class: USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU senior Jayden Daniels or North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Williams is widely projected to be the Bears’ choice at No. 1 overall, and Washington is expected to add a quarterback with the second pick.
Mayo and Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf are reportedly scheduled to see Daniels and Maye throw in-person at their respective Pro Days next week. Wolf led a contingent of Patriots evaluators to see Williams, among others, at USC’s Pro Day last Wednesday. The team also met with all three quarterbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine, and attended Michigan’s Pro Day last Friday, when Mayo and Wolf watched quarterback J.J. McCarthy work out, among other prospects.
If the Patriots select a quarterback, it’s unclear whether he would start right away. The front office signed veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett, a 2016 Patriots draft pick, to a 1-year, $8 million contract in free agency. In his Sunday interview, Mayo suggested Brissett might start next season.
“A guy like Jacoby, he’s a great leader. Everyone loves him. To get him back in the building is definitely helpful for us. And honestly, look, he could absolutely be our starter this year,” Mayo said. “We’ll have to see. Like I said, we’re not dead set at taking a quarterback at No. 3, but we do feel good having a guy like Jacoby ready to go.”
Brissett’s last season as a starter came in 2022. Under ex-Cleveland assistant and new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, he enjoyed a career year with the Browns, completing 64% of his passes for 2,608 yards for 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Among starting quarterbacks, Brissett finished eighth by QBR that year, and in the top half of most other passing metrics.
Despite his production, Brissett landed his next contract with Washington, where he served as the backup last season. The 31-year-old is a fringe starter, with three starting seasons under his belt, including two with the Colts. He owns a career passer rating of 85.3.
Brissett returned to New England shortly after the Patriots traded former starting quarterback Mac Jones to Jacksonville for a 2024 sixth-round pick. Jones left backup Bailey Zappe and ex-CFL product turned NFL journeyman Nathan Rourke in the team’s quarterbacks room. Whether the Patriots draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall or not, the team is expected to add another quarterback in the draft.
The Patriots’ No. 3 overall pick is their highest since the franchise selected Drew Bledsoe first overall in the 1993 NFL Draft. Owner Robert Kraft said last month he hopes the team’s next draft class “positions us for the next few years beautifully.”
At the combine, Wolf spoke highly of this year’s quarterback crop and specifically noted the toughness of the top prospects.
“I think it’s a really good year for quarterbacks,” Wolf said. “It’s a really good year at a lot of positions. … One thing about the quarterbacks in this draft specifically that I’m excited about is that they all look like they’re really tough guys, which is obviously great at any position, but the quarterback position especially.”
As for what he’s seeking in the team’s next quarterback, Wolf added: “First of all, being someone that can elevate his teammates, someone that your teammates want to play for. I think that’s an extremely underrated thing that people don’t really talk about that much. Leadership is important and obviously, you know, physical talent — we wouldn’t be talking about these guys if they weren’t physically talented.”
The NFL Draft will open Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m.