Draft Rumors: Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the Bills loosely know what it would take to trade up for Washington WR Rome Odunze, who they are incredibly high on. He adds he wouldn’t necessarily expect Buffalo to pay the exorbitant cost it will take to get high enough to select Odunze. 
• According to Aaron Wilson, Florida State DT Braden Fiske met extensively with the Bills’ DL coaches. 

Dolphins

• According to Tony Pauline, the Dolphins could look trade back if Duke OL Graham Barton is unavailable to them at No. 21 overall.
• Pauline believes it’s unlikely Barton makes it to the Dolphins and should they trade down, he says interior offensive line and defensive tackle are two positions worth watching.
• According to Pauline, there isn’t a lot of interest from the Dolphins in Oregon OL Jackson Powers-Johnson.

Jets

• Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes that it has become “increasingly hard” for him to believe Brock Bowers gets past the Jets at No. 10 overall. Jones admits Bowers could go higher than that.
• According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, Bowers isn’t expected to fall past the Jets at No. 10 if he’s available to them. However, Pauline reports there’s a “real possibility” that a team in the middle of the first round trades in front of them in order to draft him. 
• Pauline could see a team trading with the Titans at No. 7, the Falcons at No. 8, or the Bears at No. 9 to move for Bowers. 
• Per Tony Pauline of SportsKeeda, the Jets “really like” Bowers and Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga at No. 10.
• Pauline adds they have concerns about the health of Washington OT Troy Fautanu.
• The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mentions the Jets could be the top range for LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr., who is expected to go somewhere in the top 20 or so picks. 
• Aaron Wilson reports the Jets are among the teams that are showing interest in Louisville OT Willie Tyler.
• According to Aaron Wilson, Pitt CB M.J. Devonshire had a pre-draft visit/workout with the Jets. 

Patriots

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler write the Patriots are considering all options with the No. 3 pick but the sense is ownership really wants to come out of this draft with a quarterback, and that could impact how far they’d be willing to drop. 
• Fowler says his sense after talking to sources is the Patriots have LSU QB Jayden Daniels ahead of North Carolina QB Drake Maye, who’s ahead of Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy on New England’s board.
• Graziano adds the Patriots have done a lot of homework on Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. and seem to like him as a fallback if they trade down, not as an option at No. 3.  
• Fowler mentions a source pointed out not to discount owner Robert Kraft‘s potential affinity for McCarthy given the success of the last quarterback they had from Michigan. 
• As far as the Patriots’ plans at the top of the second round, the two note receiver should be a high priority for the team. 
• Albert Breer confirms the Patriots will listen to trade offers until they’re on the clock at No. 3.
• However, Breer says the likelihood is New England stays where they are and takes a quarterback.
• Charles Robinson mentions the Patriots are open to trading No. 3 overall, but the cost will be high, as New England could use a young quarterback of their own.
• Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports says he’s yet to speak with someone who “believes strongly Maye will be the Patriots’ pick.”
• However, Jones says most appear to be assuming Maye will go No. 3 overall.
• Jones adds that it “would take a massive offer” for the Patriots to trade down.
• The Athletic’s Dianna Russini explains a previous tweet about ownership being more involved, specifically Patriots president Jonathan Kraft. A longtime league executive told her Patriots ownership is more involved and the team has yet to give the GM title to director of scouting Eliot Wolf, though he is leading the front office. 
• The source added things have shifted to a more collaborative process overseen by Kraft, with the football ops being allowed to make final calls while keeping a constant line of communication with the Krafts.
• She also notes the Patriots haven’t had a real firm offer for the No. 3 pick yet and at this point look like they’re on a trajectory to stay and pick. However, if they do trade down, Russini expects them to move back up for a quarterback. 
• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe writes the Patriots feel like the landing spot for Maye. Some executives have made the case for McCarthy as the pick, but that would be a surprise, and one coach told Howe: “I don’t think Eliot wants to make too many surprises [in his first draft].”  
• Chad Graff and Russini, writing for the Athletic, say it’s come into focus in recent days how high the Patriots are on Maye as a textbook scheme fit for the offense they want to run. He’s got terrific physical talent and the team leadership loves his mental makeup and potential as well. 
• The two say it feels right now that if Maye is available, the Patriots will hang up the phone and turn in the pick. 
• However, if Maye goes No. 2 overall, the Patriots think that could spark a bidding war between the Vikings and Raiders for Daniels, resulting in an offer New England can’t turn down. 
• In that scenario, Graff and Russini write the Patriots would trade down, then look to come back up for McCarthy who they also see as being worth a top-ten pick. 
• On Day 2, Graff and Russini explain the plan is to try and get a starting left tackle, someone athletic like BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia, Houston’s Patrick Paul or Washington’s Roger Rosengarten, and a starting outside receiver. They point out while it’s a strong receiver class, it’s thinner when filtered to just “X-receiver” types. 
• Arizona TE Tanner McLachlan had an official 30 visit with the Patriots. (Justin Melo)