Harrison receiving attention from fans

This week’s Patriots mailbag is (predictably) heavy on draft talk.

Everyone knows the draft is ultimately a crap shoot. Sure, the more chances you have, the greater your odds of landing a player that contributes in the short and long term. We all know Caleb Williams isn’t dropping to No. 3, so the only other player that’s widely considered a sure thing is Marvin Harrison Jr.. The Patriots need a No. 1 receiver and can plug a big hole and draft a sure thing this year while still rolling the dice on a QB later in the draft. Take the prize you can see, leave the mystery box for another team.

— Jack Whalen, Easton

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the closest thing to a guaranteed Day 1 contributor in this draft, at least among the non-quarterbacks: unparalleled pedigree, great physical tools, magnificent track record. (Joe Alt is a close second — again, among the non-quarterbacks.)

But in a quarterback-rich draft, a quarterback-needy team like the Patriots simply can’t afford to pass on a signal-caller this time around. You can argue about which one might be the best fit, and you can also make a case to trade back a spot or two if you think J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix, or Bo Nix is the answer.

But unless a team approaches with a Herschel Walker/Godfather trade offer, the Patriots need to be thinking quarterback.

Do we have any chance of taking Marvin Harrison Jr. in the draft? It seems to me that he’s a generational talent that could be with us for in excess of 10 years. The real tragedy would be if he becomes a Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald who could have sued their respective teams for nonsupport. However, with a wide receiver crew of Henry, Smith-Schuster, Harrison,

Bourne, Douglas et al., it would seem we would be well on our way to fixing that part of the offensive problem.

— Michael P. DiCarlo, Boston

There’s an excellent chance Harrison will be there at No. 3, and he’s good enough to be the next Johnson or Fitzgerald for a few reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he’s so good, it doesn’t matter who’s going to be throwing him the ball.

If the Patriots weren’t in such dire need of a quarterback, that would make the most sense.

Are you Team Daniels or Team Maye? — Brian, East Longmeadow (via e-mail)

Team Daniels.

Provided he gets with a good coach and stays healthy, Drake Maye will have a good NFL career.

With Jayden Daniels, the ceiling is much higher. The speed, the accuracy, and the dynamic playmaking are all there.