If the Patriots have a plan for the draft in April, they’re playing it close to the vest.
New Patriots coach Jerod Mayo gave a cryptic answer during an appearance on WBZ-TV in Boston.
Mayo told the station that he was “very excited” about having the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, but didn’t give much more details about who they will be looking to take with such a valuable selection.
“What I will say is this, we’re going to draft the best player for a position that’s very important. You put the pieces together,” he said before cracking a smile at the end.
Mayo was officially introduced as the Patriots new head coach on Wednesday and he has a tall order in front of him after the departure of Bill Belichick.
One of the big questions will be what the franchise does with the third overall pick, with the quarterback position being a constant topic of discussion during the 2023 season.
Mac Jones’ struggles again have forced New England to reevaluate the position and there are several potential QB options in the draft.
Ohio State wide receiver and Heisman Trophy finalist Marvin Harrison Jr. also could be in play as well for the Patriots.
But who will make the final call on who the Patriots pick in the draft in April is still vague and owner Robert Kraft didn’t do much to provide clarity on it.
“This is a day we want to celebrate Jerod taking this position,” Kraft told reporters, according to the Boston Globe. “We have a lot of people internally that have had a chance to learn and grow under the greatest coach of all time, whose football intellect is very special. So in the short term, we’re looking for collaboration as our team has a tremendous opportunity to position itself right. Given our salary cap space, we’ve never drafted in my 30 years of ownership, we’ve never been drafting as low as we’re drafting.
“So we’re counting on our internal people, whom we’re still learning [about] and evaluating, so we’re going to let that evolve and develop, and before the key decisions have to be made, we will appoint someone.”