While the New England Patriots took North Carolina Drake Maye with the third overall pick in Thursday night's draft, that might not have been their preferred plan.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Patriots reached out to the Los Angeles Chargers to inquire about trading for quarterback Justin Herbert. Schefter says the call was met with "a flat no."
Herbert is one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the NFL today, and his addition would immediately change the trajectory of the franchise.
Even if it was a long shot, with a new head coach (Jim Harbaugh) coming in who has said nothing but positive things about his former college quarterback (J.J. McCarthy), the Patriots' decision-makers wouldn't have been doing their jobs if they didn't make a call.
Now, they'll have to sell the fan base on Maye, who could still be a great quarterback in New England going forward.
NFL DRAFT RANKINGS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE
