Patriots sending scouts to Michael Penix Jr.'s pro day at Washington

BOSTON -- The Patriots' hands-on research on the quarterback prospect class of 2024 will include Michael Penix Jr. after all.

New England will send a contingent of scouts -- a group that won't include director of scouting Eliot Wolf, director of player personnel Matt Groh, or head coach Jerod Mayo -- to Seattle for the Huskies' pro day on Thursday, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

Breer reported that a group of four scouts -- led by scouting director Cam Williams -- will be present for the pro day. The rest of the Patriots' brain trust -- including Mayo, Wolf, Groh, and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt -- will be at UNC's pro day to get a close look at Drake Maye, one day after that group watched Jayden Daniels throw at LSU's pro day.

Last week, Breer noted that the large group of Patriots coaches and front office members would be present for the pro days of Caleb Williams, Maye, Daniels and J.J. McCarthy. Penix's name was noticeably absent from that list. Combined with the news that the Patriots didn't meet with Penix at the combine in Indianapolis, it came to be believed that the Patriots weren't interested.

Yet sending a group out west indicates the Patriots are at least doing their due diligence on Penix, who's generally considered to be a second-round pick in next month's draft.

(Rome Odunze, considered the third-best receiver in the draft, won't be working out on Thursday, as he worked out at the combine. (The Huskies have other players whom the Patriots might want to see, though, including highly ranked offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, EDGE defender Bralen Trice and wide receivers Ja'Lynn Pol and Jalen McMillan.)

While the Patriots still seem intent on taking a quarterback with the No. 3 overall, both Mayo and owner Robert Kraft spoke this week of the potential benefits to trading that pick.

"I know everyone likes to think they have the special formula to picking players, but honestly, the guaranteed way to win is to accumulate more picks," Mayo said. "And so if we don't feel convicted at No. 3, to your point, we are willing to [trade that pick] as well."

Many have speculated that the Vikings, after trading up to acquire the No. 11 overall pick, may have been positioning themselves to trade up even more to get into the top of the draft and take a quarterback after losing Kirk Cousins in free agency. With the Vikings also owning the No. 23 pick, the Patriots could theoretically acquire both of those picks while also getting a first-rounder next year (plus some more) if they pass on the top three QBs. Doing so could allow the Patriots to address their holes at left tackle and wide receiver, while taking a quarterback like Penix (or Bo Nix, or Spencer Rattler) later in the draft.

Kraft said that his desires as a fan make him want the team to draft a quarterback at No. 3, but he also said he'd let Wolf, Groh, Mayo and Co. make the decision that's deemed best for the franchise.