The New England Patriots are likely to take a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Drat to add to their depth chart which includes Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer — and, for the first time in 20 years, does not include Tom Brady.
New England is looking for his replacement, whether that player takes control for another 20 years or not. But first and foremost, he needs to help the Patriots win in 2020. Considering that offseason work is likely to be truncated, the Patriots may draft a quarterback with the future in mind. But it sounds like they want to spend a high pick on a quarterback. It wouldn’t be wild to think a draft pick might be in the mix to start this season.
Here’s a look at a quarterback the Patriots could pick in each round of the NFL draft.
First round — Whoever slips: Oregon’s Justin Herbert or Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa
It’s possible neither of theses players slip, and when the Patriots pick at 23rd overall, they’re looking at Utah State’s Jordan Love or Washington’s Jacob Eason. I don’t like either of those players in the first round. For Love, it’s spotty decision-making (20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 2019). For Eason, it’s spotty accuracy and limited action as a starter.
So New England may hold out hope that Tagovailoa or Herbert slip in the draft, whether to 23rd overall or to a spot where the Patriots could move up a few picks. With Tagvailoa, the Patriots would land one of the quickest processors in the draft and no shortage of arm talent. The only question is his injury history (and future). Herbert, meanwhile, is healthy with a very live arm, but his ability to read the field needs work.
Second round — Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
He’s such a hard player to project. Every news item about Hurts has been that he’s the type of quarterback that NFL teams will be afraid to bet against. He’s clearly not throwing the ball at an NFL level, and will need a great deal of time and effort to get him to that point, if that even ever happens. Still, he’s a creative runner and a fierce competitor. His upside as a passer will tempt teams into thinking they can harness his potential. Maybe he’ll go as high as the second round. Maybe he’ll fall as far as the fifth.
Third round — Jake Fromm, Georgia
Much like Hurts, From could easily sneak in to the second round while falling to the fifth. And much like Hurts, teams are likely to appreciate Fromm’s mind and mindset far more than his arm talent. Fromm is a pocket passer, who knows the game better than anyone else in this draft. But he’s not an impressive thrower, and unless a team is committed to masking his deficiencies — which are unlikely to ever improve — he’s going to have a tough pro career.
Fourth round — Anthony Gordon, Washington State
This is where the quality of quarterback declines. And because of that, there may not be a quarterback picked in the fourth round unless it’s one of the players we mentioned as candidates for the previous rounds.
Gordon is exactly what you’d expect out of a Wazzo product. He ran the Air Raid, and whipped the ball around with impressive power but questionable decision-making. Considering Gardner Minshew’s success — and the success of many spread quarterbacks — NFL teams might find Gordon’s college film somewhat intriguing. He’s sort of like Jameis Winston without the arm strength and fewer bone-headed decisions.
Fifth round — Nate Stanley, Iowa
Stanley is a smart, professional young signal-caller with a rocket arm and all sorts of mechanical issues. He’ll need time and development before he has any shot at playing in the NFL. And while a number of these players figure to be backups, Stanley is more of a boom-bust prospect. If he puts it together, he’d be a good starter — but it feels very unlikely he will.
Sixth round — Shea Patterson, Michigan
At one point, Patterson looked like he was on the path to being a first-round pick. That’s why Belichick might see him and decide to see if he can remold a player who was once considered one of the best young quarterbacks in college football. That’s what the Patriots did with Jarrett Stidham last year. Between Mississippi State and Michigan, Patterson never pulled together the talent which showed in flashes rather than full games (or seasons).
Seventh round — Kevin Davidson, Princeton
He put together a nice season in his final year at Princeton, with a 66.8 completion percentage, 2,569 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Perhaps with time, he could learn to run an offense at the NFL level, though his upside is probably as a backup.
