The New England Patriots’ search for their quarterback of the future continues this spring.
NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees two intriguing possibilities for the Patriots. Jeremiah identified Duke’s Daniel Jones as a first-round target and North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley as a later-round option in a conference call with the media, according to tweets from the Boston Herald’s Kevin Duffy.
Jeremiah: Duke QB Daniel Jones "would make a lot of sense" for the Patriots at No. 32.
— Kevin Duffy (@KevinRDuffy) February 25, 2019
Jeremiah on potential QBs for Patriots: "Daniel Jones, if he falls that far to No. 32, would make a lot of sense for them. He's very bright. He's going to be able to swallow the information you're going to have to swallow…has touch and accuracy, does not have a huge arm."
— Kevin Duffy (@KevinRDuffy) February 25, 2019
Jeremiah added that Jones is a "real smooth rhythm quarterback, which is something (the Patriots) value in a big way."
— Kevin Duffy (@KevinRDuffy) February 25, 2019
Jeremiah: "Outside of the first round, Ryan Finley from N.C. State, who is almost a little bit of a poor man's Jared Goff. Same build, kind of skinny frame, but great anticipatory thrower, very accurate and tough. That would be another name that would make sense (for the Pats)."
— Kevin Duffy (@KevinRDuffy) February 25, 2019
Jones, who’s 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,674 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions with Duke this past season. The Sports Xchange ranks Jones as their No. 4 quarterback behind Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Missouri’s Drew Lock.
Finley, who’s 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, transferred from Boise State to NC State in 2016. He completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 3,928 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2018. Patriots 2016 third-round pick Jacoby Brissett preceded Finley as the Wolfpack’s starting QB. Finley is viewed by The Sports Xchange as a fifth-round pick.
