By Thursday night, the Patriots’ quarterback plan should be crystalized.

The Patriots are expected to select a quarterback high in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Patriots hold the No. 3 overall pick, and at least two of LSU’s Jayden Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy will be available in that spot.

The Patriots have never closed the door on the possibility of a trade-down. In that circumstance, and depending on how far down they would trade, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. would become possibilities.

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Ranking likelihood of what Patriots do at No. 3 in 2024 NFL Draft

Before the first round of the draft, however, let’s retrace the Patriots’ steps as they’ve studied the top QB prospects for months.

Jan. 7: The Patriots lose 17-3 to the Jets in the final week of the season with Bailey Zappe starting at quarterback and Nathan Rourke as a backup. Mac Jones, benched in Week 12, is relegated to emergency third QB status.

Jan. 11: The Patriots announce they’ve mutually parted ways with Bill Belichick, freeing up the head coach and general manager positions.

Jan. 12: Jerod Mayo is hired as the Patriots’ new head coach.

Feb. 27: Director of scouting Eliot Wolf confirms at the NFL Scouting Combine that he has final say on the roster. Wolf also says, “I think it’s a really good year for quarterbacks.”

Feb. 28: The Herald reports the Patriots have met with Daniels, Maye, McCarthy, Nix and USC’s Caleb Williams. Multiple team staffers at the combine told the Herald the Patriots would be comfortable taking one of the top quarterbacks in the top three.

March 10: It’s first reported the Patriots are finalizing a trade to send Jones to the Jaguars for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

March 11: Jacoby Brissett agrees to sign a one-year, $8 million contract. Wolf later says Brissett can support and compete with a young quarterback if the Patriots decide to go in that direction.

March 12: Patriots college scouting director Camren Williams, national scout Tony Kinkela and area scout J.T. Hill attend Nix’s pro day at Oregon, per ESPN.

Rouke is officially re-signed, joining Brissett and Zappe on an updated QB depth chart.

March 20: Wolf, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney are among those in attendance at Caleb Williams’ pro day at USC, per Sports Illustrated. Williams is expected to be selected first overall by the Bears.

March 22: Mayo, Van Pelt and McCartney join a larger contingent at McCarthy’s pro day at Michigan. McCarthy met with the Patriots before his pro day.

March 24: Mayo meets with the media at the NFL Annual Meeting and says the Patriots are open to trading down. He also says if the Patriots take a QB at No. 3 overall, then that means they are convicted in that player.

March 25: Owner Robert Kraft says he’ll let the team decide what to do with the No. 3 overall pick but “one way or another, I’d like to see us get a top-rate young quarterback.”

March 27: Wolf, Mayo, director of player personnel Matt Groh, senior personnel advisor Pat Stewart, senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith, Camren Williams, Van Pelt, senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo and McCartney attend Daniels’ pro day at LSU, per Sports Illustrated. The Patriots met with Daniels after the event.

March 28: Wolf, Mayo, Van Pelt, Groh, Stewart, Highsmith, McCartney, McAdoo and national scout Matt Evans attend Maye’s pro day, per Sports Illustrated. They met with Maye before the event.

Camren Williams leads a group of four scots at Penix’s pro day at Washington, per Sports Illustrated.

April 5: The Patriots host Maye on a “30 visit.”

April 8: The Patriots host Daniels on a “30 visit.”

April 15: The Patriots host McCarthy on a “30 visit.”

April 16: The Patriots host Penix on a “30 visit.”

April 18: Wolf meets with the media in a pre-draft presser. He says trade talks with other teams are “ongoing” and that the Patriots are open to trading up or down from No. 3 overall. He also says the Patriots are not committed to taking a quarterback but that they’re comfortable with taking one of the top QBs at No. 3 overall and feel a signal-caller would be worth picking that high.

Wolf was asked if he’d be fine with Maye, Daniels or McCarthy running the Patriots. He answers, “Yeah, I think that’s fair. And I think you could open it up to some other names as well. I think it’s really unique here.”