3 Potential Busts the Patriots Must Avoid With No. 3 Pick

1. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

There's no denying the Patriots need a new quarterback. Mac Jones has proven he's not the guy for them and it's now time to turn the page. At No. 3 overall, New England could decide to go after a signal-caller. But so could the Chicago Bears at No. 1 overall and the Washington Commanders at No. 2.

If that's how things shake out, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye will likely be gone. The Patriots could then decide to go for the top player at another position or they could land the next best quarterback. There's a case to be made that Jayden Daniels is that player but perhaps they overthink things and start looking at J.J. McCarthy. That might sound like a reach but remember that the Giants talked themselves into Daniel Jones at No. 6.

Teams constantly fall in love with quarterbacks and can get a blind spot. That might happen with McCarthy, especially if he tests well at the Scouting Combine.

This isn't to say the Patriots can't draft him. But if they find out they feel better about him than they do Daniels, they need to try and trade down. Using a premium pick on a quarterback who has some questions might wind up being a disaster. However, landing him later in the round while stockpiling more capital would be much better for their chances of getting back on track.

More Patriots NFL Draft coverage