Drake Maye draft rumors see multiple teams bidding to trade up for UNC QB

The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and the rumor mill continues to heat up over what will happen when the New England Patriots are on the clock with the No. 3 overall pick. But recent buzz suggests multiple teams are in the market to trade up to make North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye the next face of their franchise.

League-wide demand for a young signal-caller in Round 1 and the finite number of first-round caliber quarterbacks may be enough to prompt teams to give up a massive haul if it means landing one of the consensus top-four passers (USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Daniels, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, and Maye), which is why New England has explored the possibility of moving out of the third selection.

But the Patriots are reportedly laughing at offers they've received thus far. As a result, it is increasingly likely they make the selection themselves and bring in the former Tar Heel to step in as the successor to the failed Mac Jones experiment. But that hasn't stopped teams from trying, per Peter Schrager of NFL Network.

Drake Maye draft rumors heat up as multiple teams ramp up pursuit of the UNC QB 

Schrager appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, naming the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants as franchises potentially seeking to move up to No. 3 to select Maye.

"I think Drake Maye goes at number three, and I'm hearing that the Vikings and Giants are trying to get up," Schrager told McAfee based on the intel he has gathered ahead of the draft.

It appears that Maye has separated himself from McCarthy as the third signal-caller prospect in the eyes of evaluators and front offices if recent comments from Schrager are any indication, sparking a bidding war for his services. Will the Pats use that as an opportunity to cash out and trade down, knowing there are desperate quarterback-needy teams who highly covet the UNC product, like the Giants and Vikings? Or will they take him for themselves?

Williams is a lock to hear his name called with the first overall pick by the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders appear set on LSU's Jayden Daniels at No. 2 after the two sides "smoothed over" issues stemming from the evaluation process, per SI's Senior NFL Report Albert Breer. So the draft virtually begins at the third spot, putting Maye and the Patriots at center stage.