One of the biggest questions surrounding the New England Patriots entering the 2024 NFL draft is what the franchise will do with the No. 3 overall pick.

Will they select a quarterback? Or will the team trade down to acquire more draft capital and potentially upgrade at multiple positions?

According to the Boston Herald's Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan, "executives around the NFL do expect the Patriots to select a quarterback" with the third overall pick this spring.

After trading Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this month in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick, the Patriots are in the market for a new quarterback, and this year's class has no shortage of talent at the position.

USC's Caleb Williams is widely expected to go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears, but the Patriots could have their choice of UNC's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels at No. 3.

The Washington Commanders, which own the No. 2 overall pick, have been heavily linked to Daniels since the scouting combine. However, the franchise has also recently been rumored as a landing spot for Michigan's J.J. McCarthy with that selection.

It's unclear which quarterback the Patriots might be favoring, but one scout told the Boston Herald "that while there's a lot to like in McCarthy's game, he's a step below the top three."

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters this week that while "quarterback is definitely a priority," for the franchise entering the draft, the team is "still open to any type of deals that come our way" in relation to the No. 3 pick.

"We're very far [into] the process, but we still have a long way to go," Mayo said. "Definitely feel like we have time to really nail down our prospects in who we are going to go after."

The Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders have all been mentioned as teams that could move up for a quarterback in this year's draft, but they'd likely have to give up a haul if they want to land New England's No. 3 selection.

If the Patriots do trade out of the No. 3 spot, quarterbacks like Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. could be available when they are on the clock. Nix and Penix are viewed as a step below the top-tier talent at the position this year.

New England enters the 2024 draft with Jacoby Brissett atop its depth chart. Bailey Zappe also remains on the roster.