The New England Patriots are casting a wide net as they work to identify Tom Brady’s potential successor.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday the Patriots worked out Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White, a projected mid-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, who ran the workout, also met with White for a film session before Western Kentucky’s pro day, the quarterback said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio.
WKU QB @MW_XIV: The #Patriots came to the WKU Pro Day and the night before I got a chance to speak with Nick Caserio. We met and got on the white board and watched some film. It was one of the better interviews because it was all about football and it was fun. pic.twitter.com/9reEOzQC1Q
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) April 11, 2018
The Patriots, who need to find an eventual heir to 40-year-old Tom Brady, have been linked to a slew of QB prospects during the pre-draft process.
They sent a representative — often Caserio — to the pro days of Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Washington State’s Luke Falk, Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta and Toledo’s Logan Woodside and reportedly held private workouts with Oklahoma’s Mason Rudolph and Florida International’s Alex McGough.
White is a tall (6-foot-4), big-armed talent who began his college career at South Florida before transferring to Western Kentucky in 2015. He surpassed 4,000 passing yards in each of his final two collegiate seasons, completing 67.3 percent of his passes in 2016 and 65.7 percent in 2017.
One of the biggest knocks on White is his lack of mobility, both in and out of the pocket. Unlike some of the other quarterback prospects the Patriots are evaluating, he’s not a guy who will extend plays with his legs.
New England currently owns eight selections in the 2018 NFL Draft, including two in the first round and two more in the second.
