Mel Kiper has Patriots taking quarterback Drake Maye third overall in his first mock draft of 2024

FOXBORO -- For years, there was no real reason for Patriots fans to pay attention to mock drafts. New England was usually picking at the end of the first round, and chances were Bill Belichick was going to trade out of that pick anyways.

But 2024 is going to be a lot different. The Jerod Mayo era is here, and the Patriots own the third overall selection in this year's draft. The new head coach has already promised some big things with that pick come April.

"We are going to draft the best player for a position that is very important. You put the pieces together," Mayo told WBZ-TV's Steve Burton shortly after he was introduced as head coach. 

Chances are the Patriots will be drafting a new quarterback on April 25, so fans will be locked into mock drafts over the next three months. On Tuesday, the king of the mock drafters -- ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. -- released his first mock of 2024.

And he's starting this mock season with a bit of a twist. Kiper has the Bears taking USC quarterback Caleb Williams at first overall, but then has the Washington Commanders drafting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2.

That leaves UNC quarterback Drake Maye for the Patriots with the third pick. Here's Kiper's analysis of Maye ending up in New England:

"It's a total makeover in New England, which will have a new coach and front office structure for the first time since Bill Belichick joined the organization in 2000. New coach Jerod Mayo, whose background is on defense, inherits a total mess on offense. The Patriots ranked second to last in the league in offensive points per game (12.9) and their offensive line ranked last in pass block win rate (43.5%). Linemen Trent Brown and Mike Onwenu and tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki are among the team's free agents. What better way to start a new era -- and possible offensive rebuild-- than to take an elite quarterback at the top of the draft?

Maye had some ups and downs in 2023, but he's an outstanding deep-ball thrower in a 6-foot-4 frame. He takes care of the football and has some dual-threat ability. There's a ton to like in his potential. And while the Bears might struggle with the decision to move on from their first-round quarterback picked in the 2021 draft, the Patriots shouldn't agonize much. Mac Jones has regressed enough to make that an easy call this offseason. Quarterback is by far New England's biggest need."

"Mayo and Maye" does have an interesting ring to it. 

While Williams is the consensus No. 1 pick, most mocks have Maye as the second quarterback coming off the board. Kiper sees things differently -- at least for now.

"The bottom line is it's tight between Daniels and Maye on my board, but Daniels would be an tremendous fit for a Washington roster that has some young playmakers on offense. Maye's inconsistency at the end of the season is enough for me to put Daniels at No. 2," Kiper wrote.

Maye got off to a hot start in 2023, completing 69 percent of his passes for 1,900 yards and 12 passing touchdowns (plus four rushing scores) as he led the Tar Heels to a 6-0 start. But he wasn't nearly as electric over his final six games, with his completion percentage dipping to 57.7 percent. There was a four-touchdown game against Campbell late in the season, but Maye lost his final two games in college, completing just over 51 percent of his passes for three touchdowns and three picks in losses to Clemson and NC State.

But Maye showed that he has a lot of upside over his two seasons as UNC's starter, leading the Heels to a 17-9 record overall. He was the ACC Player of the Year in 2022 after throwing for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns (to just seven interceptions) while adding another 700 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. 

His numbers dipped a bit in 2023, but Maye still led the ACC with 3,608 passing yards to go with his 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 449 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. 

Most mocks have Maye going second to the Commanders and the Patriots drafting Daniels, but a lot can happen between now and April's draft.