The NFL Draft takes place next week, and it’ll be an unfamiliar feeling for many New England fans across Massachusetts sports betting.
With the Patriots holding the third pick overall, this year’s draft marks the first time the franchise has had a top-three pick in 31 years. In 1993, they selected Drew Bledsoe as the No. 1 pick.
There will be a lot of changes with the team heading into the 2024 season. For starters, Jerod Mayo takes over as coach and has the daunting task of filling the shoes of legendary Bill Belichick, who guided the team to six Super Bowl championships during his 24-year tenure. The Patriots will also be looking for a new quarterback after trading Mac Jones, the starter the past three seasons, to Jacksonville last month.
Those reasons are likely why the Patriots fanbase ranks among the 10 that are most eagerly awaiting the draft. Keep tabs on the Patriots draft pick odds here as well leading up to next week.
Fanbases Most Excited for 2024 NFL Draft
Using Google Trends, BetMassachusetts.com ranked the top 10 most excited fanbases, and then, out of a list of players projected to be selected in the first round, we ranked the top 5 players that the fanbase is most frequently searching. All rankings are based on search interest score, compared to other topics.
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Patriots Fans’ Top 5 Most Anticipated Players
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It’s no wonder Pats fans are checking out quarterbacks, given that their team needs one, and the four most searched players are all considered among the top available in the draft.
It would be a shock if Caleb Williams went to New England, but doing so could improve the Patriots Super Bowl odds. The Southern Cal quarterback and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is expected to be the Chicago Bears’ top pick overall. The question will be where J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels land.
McCarthy is attracting the most interest. He’s a Michigan quarterback, and the Patriots have quite a history with one of those. McCarthy also just happened to lead the Wolverines to the national title this season.
Maye is a highly touted quarterback from North Carolina who threw for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns this past season as a junior. He may be the most talented of the four available.
Daniels won the Heisman last season while playing for LSU. The fifth-year senior threw for 3,812 yards, had a 40-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and ran for 1,134 yards and 10 more scores.
No matter who the Patriots pick, the 2024 season is expected to be a rebuilding one in New England. Most sportsbooks, including Caesars MA, gives the Pats odds of around +15000 to win next season’s Super Bowl, the same odds as the Tennessee Titans. Only the Carolina Panthers have higher odds at +25000.
USA Today photo by Patrick Breen.
