Is this the year the New England Patriots finally (well, for the second time) draft Tom Brady’s replacement?
One NFL expert apparently believes so.
Former scout and current NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his first mock draft Friday, and he has the Patriots taking a quarterback in the first round. According to Jeremiah, that signal-caller will be Oklahoma product Kyler Murray, who recently declared for the 2019 NFL Draft despite baseball commitments to the Oakland Athletics.
Here’s Jeremiah’s rationale:
“Murray is the ultimate wild card in this draft,” Jeremiah wrote. “The Patriots need to find the heir apparent to Tom Brady and Murray could contribute while Brady is still playing.”
Murray certainly would be an intriguing option for New England if he’s available at the end of Round 1. A highly athletic, dual-threat quarterback, Murray torched college defenses last season en route to winning the Heisman Trophy.
Still, it’s fair to wonder whether Murray truly loves the game of football — something Patriots head coach Bill Belichick prioritizes over nearly anything else.
Murray, an outfielder, was drafted ninth overall by the A’s in the 2018 MLB Draft, and Oakland was willing to give him loads of money to stick to baseball. But after leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff, Murray seemingly had a change of heart, and wants to explore a career in the NFL.
Is that too wishy-washy for Belichick? We’ll find out soon enough.
