The 2024 NFL Draft is still over two months away, but the Patriots' preparations are well underway.
New England, holding the third overall selection, is slated to pick the highest it has since drafting Drew Bledsoe at No. 1 overall in 1993.
After a 4-13 season, there are clearly plenty of holes on the roster. Most would consider offense to be the most pressing need with uncertainty at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
With those positions in mind, there are plenty of top prospects to consider at No. 3. Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, in an interview with NBCU Local, shared why he thinks the team has to select a quarterback -- but only if they are smitten with him.
MORE PATRIOTS COVERAGE
"If there's a quarterback that they love that's available at pick three that's not picked at either one or two, I think you go with the quarterback," Gronkowski said.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the most common player linked to the Patriots in mock drafts, and that would fit Gronkowski's thinking. Daniels seems unlikely to be picked at Nos. 1 or 2 with USC's Caleb Williams and UNC's Drake Maye widely believed to be the first two quarterbacks off the board.
Daniels would bring a different element to the Patriots' offense, which is now led by new coordinator Alex Van Pelt. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner emerged as an elite dual-threat quarterback last season -- 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns through the air, 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
Gronkowski also offered an interesting alternative option if the Patriots don't happen to love Daniels or any of the other remaining quarterbacks.
"If it's not a quarterback, it needs to be 100 percent Marvin Harrison Jr. to spark the offense," Gronkowski said.
Harrison is considered one of the most talented prospects in the 2024 class. The son of former Patriots rival Marvin Harrison Sr., the younger Harrison had over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons for Ohio State -- making him look like one of the surest bets to succeed in this draft.
Another option that Gronkowski didn't mention, but has recently been floated, is that the Patriots could select an offensive tackle to shore up the line. Starting tackles Trent Brown and Michael Onwenu are both set to be free agents in March.
Whether it's Daniels, Harrison or some other player, there's still plenty of time to speculate before April's draft.