WHAT SHOULD THE PATRIOTS DO WITH THE NO. 3 PICK? THE GLOBE STAFF WEIGHS IN

We asked the Globe’s football cognoscenti to weigh in on what the Patriots should do when they are on the clock with the No. 3 pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft. Opinions varied, of course. And what will they do? That’s the bigger question.

CHAD FINN

What the Patriots should do

at No. 3: Stay put and take North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. He is mobile, has a laser arm, has a reputation as coachable and a leader, and is just 21 years old. My biggest concern is that the Commanders will fool everyone at No. 2 and take him rather than Louisiana State’s Jayden Daniels, a super prospect in his own right but one who is skinny and takes a lot of brutal hits. He is also two years older than Maye.

What they will do: Draft Maye. Trading down does not make sense unless they are overwhelmed with an offer. The Vikings reportedly covet Maye, but their Nos. 11 and 23 picks and a future first are not nearly enough to get it done. The Patriots need elite talent, not the third- or fourth-best tackle and fourth- or fifth-best receiver. Don’t overthink it. Hope the Commanders take Daniels, get Maye, and spend the next couple of drafts surrounding him with talent.

CHRISTOPHER L. GASPER

What the Patriots should do at

No. 3: The quarterbackstarved Patriots should stand pat at No. 3. Then sprint their card to the commissioner for whichever between Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye the Commanders leave on the board. Daniels is a dynamic dual-threat talent who had 22 touchdown passes and no interceptions on throws of 20plus yards last season. Maye was expected to push Caleb Williams for the No. 1 pick entering last season and possesses as much talent as any QB in the draft. Don’t overthink it, Eliot.

What they will do: They’ll flirt with the elevator approach of moving down the board to pick up additional picks and then going back up between No. 5 (Chargers) and No. 8 (Falcons) to nab compromise QB J.J. McCarthy, who has fans inside Fort Foxborough. But in the end, it’s too risky a game to play and could result in them missing out on a top QB. They’ll play it safe, stay at No. 3, and bet on Maye’s big upside.

CHRISTOPHER PRICE

What the Patriots should do at No. 3: Unless a team like Minnesota makes them a Godfatherstyle offer (multiple picks and/ or players), they should take a quarterback, either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye. From this viewpoint, Daniels would be the preferred choice, but if Washington goes with him at No. 2, the Patriots should be very happy with Maye at No. 3.

What they wlll do: Either take a quarterback (Daniels or Maye), or trade down . . . and take a quarterback (Michael Penix Jr.?). Regardless of where they end up picking, a QB-needy team like New England must take advantage of the fact that this is a QB-rich draft and act accordingly.

DAN SHAUGHNESSY

What the Patriots should do at No. 3: Bears take Caleb Williams at No. 1. Commanders take Jayden Daniels at No. 2. Patriots trade No. 3 to Vikings for Minnesota’s two No. 1’s this year (11 and 23), wide receiver Justin Jefferson, plus the Vikings’ No. 1 pick in 2025. Then the Patriots select Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. at No. 11. Jonathan Kraft comes out of the War Room, stands at a podium, and says, “This is the most important Patriots draft since my dad had to go behind Bill Parcells’s back to pick Terry Glenn instead of some fatty O-lineman in 1996. This was totally our call. And what a haul! Put it all on me. You’re damn right I ordered the Code Red! This is what we needed to do to improve our team.”

What they will do: Bears take Caleb Williams at No. 1. Commanders take Jayden Daniels at No. 2. Patriots select Drake Maye at No. 3. Beholden coach Jerod Mayo and puppet GM Eliot Wolf come out of the War Room and say, “We appreciate working for great owners like the Krafts and we love the Drake. He was our guy all along. We’d have taken him at No. 1 if we’d had the top pick. He is the personification of the Patriot Way.” When asked where Jonathan Kraft is, Wolf says, “He was called away on a major corrugated cardboard issue. He supports our decision. We love working for the Krafts.”

TARA SULLIVAN

With the Patriots should do at

No. 3: They should absolutely, positively, no question take a quarterback. Whether that ends up being Jayden Daniels (probably gone) or Drake Maye (the preferred choice in my book) or (gulp) J.J. McCarthy, they should take their shot at finding the next franchise QB. The opportunity to be in such rarefied draft air is so rare, and thanks to their incomparable run of success spanning decades, it is someplace they haven’t visited in a very long time. They have a glaring need at the position, and the best players are at the top of this draft. It’s no guarantee, but it’s the safest bet.

What they will do: I think the Patriots will trade down, too tempted by the idea of multiple high-value picks to restock their roster. With fingers crossed, they’ll hope for a Michael Penix Jr. to drop their way, so they can get both a QB and some weapons or protection around him.

BEN VOLIN

What the Patriots should do at No. 3: Draft Drake Maye, assuming he’s still there, as some people still think the Commanders are going to take him at No. 2. Maye has some question marks —scattershot accuracy, questionable footwork — and at 21, he probably is not ready to step in and be a locker room leader or the face of the franchise. But the Patriots shouldn’t overthink this; they need a quarterback, a perfect prospect rarely falls into your lap, and Maye checks all the boxes as far as size, arm strength, athleticism, and demeanor. You take the quarterback and then hope that you have the right coaching and support system in place to help him thrive.

What they will do: Trade down and draft J.J. McCarthy. They know they have to get a quarterback in Round 1 but are still telling the world they are “open for business” with the No. 3 pick, which seems like a sure sign that they’re not totally in love with Maye or McCarthy and would rather trade down for more picks. I have it as a two-horse race between the Bears at No. 9 (who would trade up for Marvin Harrison Jr.) and the Vikings at No. 11 (who would trade up for Maye), and ultimately the Vikings win out with an offer that includes pick No. 23 plus next year’s first-rounder. Then with three QBs off the board, a bunch of receivers and offensive tackles will come flying off next, leaving McCarthy for the Patriots at No. 11.

NICOLE YANG

What the Patriots should do

at No. 3: Draft Drake Maye. Do I agree with Eliot Wolf that the roster, as currently constructed, is equipped to support a rookie quarterback? No. But the Patriots cannot pass up the opportunity to take a top-tier quarterback prospect. Coach Jerod Mayo gushed about Maye’s ceiling for a reason — because his arm strength, mobility, and size (6-4, 223) set a strong foundation. For Maye to reach that ceiling, however, the Patriots will have to do all that they can to support him with receiver help, pass protection, and coaching.

What they will do: Draft Drake Maye. Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf have broadcasted to the league that they are open for business with the No. 3 pick, but a trade would require a substantial package, one I don’t believe the Patriots will receive. (Nos. 11 and 23, along with a 2025 first-rounder from Minnesota wouldn’t be enough, in my opinion.) Barring a rich offer, the Patriots will stand pat and draft Maye because Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels will be off the board.