New England Patriots helmet (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots are reportedly willing to trade down to snag a certain quarterback if things don’t work out for them early in the first round.

The NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday, with Caleb Williams expected to come off the board first as the Chicago Bears have held on to their No. 1 overall pick, also having traded Justin Fields to make room for the former USC Trojans star.

The Washington Commanders will be up next, with the Pats set to follow with the third-overall pick.

New England’s said to be very keen on former LSU QB Jayden Daniels. However, if the Heisman Trophy winner gets taken at No. 2, which is very likely to be the case, then they could trade their pick to draft Michael Penix Jr. lower down.

That is according to Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.

“One well-placed source told me he was convinced the team would move down,” Pauline wrote this week. “In Indianapolis, the belief was that if the Patriots could not select Daniels, they would trade deep into Round 1 and select Michael Penix Jr.”

Penix was one of the hottest names in the college football world heading into the playoffs and was one of the favorites to win the Heisman. The QB led Washington to the CFP National Championship Game but would ultimately bow out to Michigan.

The Patriots have already let teams know that their pick could be available.

The New England Patriots Might Not Be So Hot On Drake Maye

Drake Maye is one of the most confusing prospects heading into this week’s draft. The New England Patriots were initially reported to be sold on the former UNC star, but that doesn’t seem to be the case now.

The sportsbooks were of the view that the player could go as high as No. 2 overall a few days ago, though they have since dropped their odds of Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy going to Washington as the second-overall pick.

Things are certainly getting interesting.