There’s a bit of curiosity as to how former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick would have used the third overall pick, if he was still the de facto general manager for the team.
Some recent notes from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini offered some insight on that question.
Russini wrote:
The Patriots are under a new regime and are about to make one of the most important picks in franchise history at No. 3. (If this was still Bill Belichick running the Patriots, I’m told he would probably trade down and get more picks — see the Texans — but this is not those Patriots anymore.)
This will be the first draft without Belichick at the helm in well over two decades for the Patriots.
The team has a golden opportunity to select an elite talent, with multiple franchise quarterback options and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. expected to still be on the board. The 2024 NFL draft is undoubtedly a crucial one with the Patriots clearly in a rebuild.
This note is particularly interesting considering de facto general manager Eliot Wolf has been playing hardball when it comes to trade down offers. It just goes to show that times are indeed different for New England, who appears to be focused on making the most of their selection.
