Mock draft season is in full swing with the 2023 NFL draft a couple of weeks away. A recent mock draft has the New England Patriots selecting a quarterback with the 14th overall pick.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has the Patriots selecting Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with the No. 14 overall pick in his latest mock draft.
There is some history between Richardson and the Patriots, as he met with the team back in February. Richardson is coming off a 2022 season that saw him record 2,549 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Richardson has shown tremendous potential at the NFL combine, as he had one of the most notable combines out of the quarterback group. New England could benefit from having Richardson in the quarterback room with Brian Hoyer no longer a member of the organization and a pivotal year for Mac Jones coming up. Richardson’s running ability also makes him an intriguing target.
This is what Zierlein had to say when explaining his reasoning.
There’s reportedly tension between Bill Belichick and Mac Jones. In this scenario, the Patriots look to deal Jones for a draft pick and choose to develop the dynamic but raw Richardson.
New England has a lot of directions they can go with the 14th overall pick. Quarterback may not necessarily be the position they need the most.
