Page 7 - Van Pelt News Today

FOXBORO -- Patriots owner Robert Kraft borrowed a line from a Boston Herald headline while introducing 2024 first-round pick Drake Maye. "I thought it was the end of April, but one of the papers in town said, 'Maye Day' has arrived. That's pretty exciting," Kraft said Friday on the field at Gillette Stadium.

The Patriots drafted UNC quarterback Drake Maye on Saturday, and he fits his new franchise's timeline perfectly.

Read the full transcript from Drake Maye's draft press conference on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

The Patriots' new, 21-year-old quarterback spoke with reporters after getting drafted third overall Thursday, a night he called the best of his life. The Patriots wasted no time submitting their card once they were on the clock at No. 3 overall, and director of scouting Eliot Wolf revealed he knew the team would draft him for weeks.

"I think competing to win: that's what Patriots Nation is about. That's what they know how to do, and I'm ready to come in and do that."

Commentary: New England has the No. 3 pick in Thursday's NFL Draft, and Drake Maye has the leadership, toughness and smarts the team needs.

Here are three free agents the Patriots could still potentially sign to help lessen the burden of drafting all their needs this weekend.

The Patriots have met with the top quarterbacks at least three times during the pre-draft process from February to April. LSU's Jayden Daniels, UNC's Drake Maye and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy are the top candidates to be the Patriots' next franchise quarterback.

Money aside, the team situation matters more in the long run

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