Patriots Could Trade Down From No. 3 If This One Thing Happens

The New England Patriots own the third overall pick in the NFL Draft and are widely expected to take whoever is remaining between Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye. But could the Patriots trade down?

Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda thinks so, but only if certain circumstances are present.

Pauline says that if Daniels is not on the board at No. 3, the Patriots could move down and take Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. He says that New England is “comfortable” with taking Penix later in the first round.

The Pats would obviously then be able to gather up some extra picks in a potential deal and could more properly fill out their roster, which is severely lacking in talent—particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Based on the fact that the Washington Commanders are viewed as likely to take Daniels at No. 2, this scenario could very well end up being on the table for the Patriots.

Penix is considered by many to be the fifth or sixth-best quarterback prospect in this year’s draft class, depending on who you ask.

The 23-year-old is coming off of a spectacular 2023 campaign in which he threw for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 65.4 percent of his passes.

There are some who are concerned with Penix’s medical history and his lack of mobility, but others are impressed by his size and his fantastic arm strength.

Penix led Washington all the way to the national championship game, where the Huskies fell to J.J. McCarthy and Michigan.

One thing is for sure: the Patriots need a quarterback, and they appear dead set on taking one in the first round of the draft. Whether that ends up being at No. 3 or later on in the round remains to be seen.