Patriots trade back but still land potential franchise QB -- and a receiver -- in new mock draft

FOXBORO -- We're nearly a month out of the 2024 NFL Draft, and while the general consensus is that the Patriots will be drafting a quarterback, no one knows which quarterback New England will land with the third overall pick. Or for that matter, if the Patriots will even be picking in that No. 3 slot. 

The Patriots appear to set on using that third overall pick to address their need at quarterback, but the possibility remains that a team could make them a trade offer they simply can't refuse. And with a real lack of talent at a number of positions other than quarterback, trading back could give Eliot Wolf and company more ammo to plug other holes. 

The mock drafters have been at it for a while, but now we're getting some real doozies with potential trades entering the mix. And on Friday, Yahoo Sports has the Patriots making a massive trade back but still landing a potential quarterback of the future. The Pats even add a receiver for that quarterback to boot.

The big rumor out there these days surrounds the Minnesota Vikings trading up to find their own QB of the future. Minnesota now owns the No. 11 pick and the No. 23 pick in the first round, which is a pretty good starting point to move up into the top of the draft. In Friday's mock draft, those two picks are enough for the Vikings to get the third overall pick from New England.

But after Caleb WIlliams goes first overall to Chicago and Drake Maye goes second overall to Washington, Yahoo's Charles McDonald and Nick Tice do not have the Vikings drafting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. Instead, the Yahoo duo has the Vikings going with Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, who is quickly climbing up draft boards after helping lead the Wolverines to a national championship.

Who ends up with Daniels? In this particular mock, the Heisman Trophy winner falls all the way to No. 11 and lands with New England. So the Patriots still end up with a quarterback to build around, and they get another first-round pick in the process.

And with that extra pick, McDonald and Tice have the Patriots drafting one of Daniels' top targets at LSU: wide receiver Brian Thomas.

"New England desperately needs speed and skill on the outside and it'll be difficult to find more explosive options than Thomas," the Yahoo scribes write.

The 6-foot-5 Thomas is coming off a monster season for the Tigers where he hauled in 68 receptions for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns, which led all of college football. That production surpassed what he did over his first two seasons with LSU (59 receptions, seven touchdowns) and earned him Third-Team All-American honors.

Not a bad haul by the Patriots. But that is just one mock draft, and others out there have things going much, much differently on April 25. Here's a quick roundup of what some other mockers have the Patriots doing with that third overall pick:

Chris Trapaso, CBS Sports: Patriots trade down with Vikings

Ok, so this one wasn't too much different than the new Yahoo mock. Trapaso also has the Patriots trading the third pick to Vikings, who draft Maye with the selection. With the 11th pick, the Patriots are the team that ends up with McCarthy.

"The Patriots slide back and still land a quarterback. Fantastic maneuvering by Eliot Wolf," writes Trapaso.

With the 23rd pick in the draft, Trapaso has the Patriots snagging corner Iowa corner Cooper DeJean, whom he calls a "do-everything defensive back." 

Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports: Drake Maye, QB, UNC

"Maye reminds me a lot of Justin Herbert in that he didn't have a lights-out final season in college and skeptics are wondering what he'll look like at the next level. I think he'll be a better pro than college QB, and even though '23 was uneven at times, his '22 tape is pretty good. The Patriots will likely get several very lucrative opportunities to move down from No. 3 but like Washington and Chicago above them, they desperately need a quarterback."

Josh Edwards, CBS Sports: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

"Quarterbacks are taken 1-2-3 as Jayden Daniels is the latest to come off the board to New England. Is it possible the Patriots would prefer another quarterback from Michigan though? J.J. McCarthy is now the best option remaining for quarterback-needy teams."

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

"The Patriots did sign Brissett, but they also traded Mac Jones, telling everyone they also will be drafting a franchise QB. Their moves to improve the offense have been uninspiring, but they are hinting a little that they want to add a key running element to what will be a rush-heavy offense. Daniels can provide that with his speed and explosiveness, and he also has a lively, big-play arm."

Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

"New Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo had this to say about draft strategy when speaking with CBS News Boston in mid-January: "What I will say is this: We're gonna draft the best player for a position that is very important. You put the pieces together.

"For him to say that at that time means the Patriots were confident in not only Caleb Williams but also Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels to be franchise quarterbacks. Mayo likely doesn't express that thought if New England isn't planning on taking whichever quarterback is left on the board, even if it's the QB3 of that group."

The Athletic: Another trade down with Vikings

In this mock trade, Minnesota sends the 11th and 23rd pick in 2024, a first-round pick in 2025, and a second-round pick in 2026 for the third overall selection to draft Drake Maye. 

With their two first-round selections, the Pats draft Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu, who could be the team's starting left tackle in Week 1, and Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell at No. 23. 

"He's uber-talented and put on a show at the combine," The Athletic's Chad Graff writes of . Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf is eyeing a major influx of talent, and that screams Mitchell, who would have a chance of being the team's No. 1 receiver, even as a rookie."

The Patriots don't get a quarterback in the first round in this mock (McCarthy goes eighth overall to the Broncos) but that deal from the Vikings would be too good to pass up.