For the first time since before most NFL players were even alive, Bill Belichick will not be roaming the sidelines with the New England Patriots. His protégé, Jared Mayo, is now at the helm, and he has his work cut out for him. 

The Pats finished 4-13 last season, a four-game decline from the year prior, a six-game drop from 2021, and the first sub-.500 record for the franchise since 2000 – Belichick’s first year at the helm. 

Bookies.com veteran oddsmaker Adam Thompson has used his resources of NFL contacts developed over 20 years covering the league and the NFL Draft to create his hypothetical NFL futures odds  on who gets selected third by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

New England Patriots NFL Draft Odds (No. 3)

This market is for entertainment purposes only and has been created by the Bookies.com team. It is not currently available on betting apps. Percentages will not add up to 100% most of the time because these are designed to simulate odds a sportsbook would set.

 Best 2024 NFL Draft Patriots Prospects

Offense was the big, big problem for the Pats in 2023. The team won just four games despite being seventh in yards allowed in and in the top half of points allowed. The offense ranked bottom-three in yards and points. 

Mac Jones is gone, traded to the Jaguars to be a backup for Trevor Lawrence. That leaves veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe, who was not sharp in his opportunities last year. 

The team re-signed key players this off-season, but didn’t bring many new faces in. That makes QB the No. 1 priority in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

There are three “can’t miss” QB prospects, and fortunately for the Pats, they’ll get one of them if they keep their pick. It’s not going to be USC’s Caleb Williams, widely expected to go No. 1 to the Bears. At No. 2, the Commanders are probably deciding between LSU’s Jayden Daniels and UNC’s Drake Maye. 

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Each has strengths – Daniels is considered the more polished, and Maye the more boom-or-bust candidate. We’re projecting Daniels heads to Washington. 

That leaves Maye as the strong favorite to end up with New England. Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy has vaulted up the charts, to the point where his steady-as-she-goes play for the Wolverines may be more enticing to Mayo than the questions raised about Maye’s game. 

Is it possible the Patriots draft a non-QB at No. 3? Anything is possible – the Pats need a No. 1 receiver, and Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State and Malik Nabers of LSU are believed to be immediate No. 1 types. But what’s the point of having a star wideout if one doesn’t have a QB to get them the ball? 

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New England Patriots NFL Draft Picks 2024

• Round 1 (Pick 3)
• Round 2 (Pick 34)
• Round 3 (Pick 68)
• Round 4 (Pick 103)
• Round 5 (Pick 137)
• Round 6 (Pick 180)
• Round 6 (Pick 193 from JAX)
• Round 7 (Pick 231 from CHI)