The New England Patriots are in the midst of hosting 30 prospects prior to the 2019 NFL Draft, and two big names reportedly came to Gillette Stadium on Wednesday.
The Patriots hosted Duke quarterback Daniel Jones and West Virginia quarterback Will Grier. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said he expects the visits to wrap up early next week.
So, what should we make of the Patriots’ interest in Jones and Grier, and what kind of players are the Patriots exploring?
First, don’t be surprised in the least if the Patriots take a quarterback in the first half of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Patriots have a clear need at quarterback with Tom Brady entering his age-42 NFL season. The Patriots currently have Brian Hoyer and second-year pro Danny Etling backing up Brady. Combine that with the fact that the Patriots have spent picks on the first two days of the NFL draft on quarterbacks in 2008 (Kevin O’Connell), 2011 (Ryan Mallett), 2014 (Jimmy Garoppolo) and 2016 (Jacoby Brissett), and it seems New England is due for another highly drafted signal-caller.
DANIEL JONES, DUKE
Stats: 236-of-393, 60.1 percent, 2,670 yards, 6.8 yards per attempt, 22 touchdowns, nine interceptions
Projected Round: First
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 221 pounds
Hand size: 9 3/4 inches
Arm length: 32 1/2 inches
40-yard dash: 4.81 seconds
10-yard split: 1.68 seconds
3-cone drill: 7 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.41 seconds
Vertical leap: 33.5 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet
Throwing velocity: 54 MPH
Adjusted completion percentage: 74.3 percent (11th)
Adjusted completion percentage vs. pressure: 58.3 percent (23rd)
Adjusted completion percentage vs. blitz: 68 percent (27th)
Deep adjusted completion percentage: 44.4 percent (25th)
Average depth of target: 9.1 yards (40th)
WILL GRIER, WEST VIRGINIA
Stats: 266-of-397, 67 percent, 3,865 yards, 9.7 yards per attempt, 37 touchdowns, eight interceptions
Projected Round: Third
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 217 pounds
Hand size: 9 3/8 inches
Arm length: 31 1/2 inches
40-yard dash: 4.84 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.09 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.28 seconds
Vertical leap: 34 inches
Broad jump: 9-foot, 4 inches
Throwing velocity: 59 MPH
Adjusted completion percentage: 76.6 percent (sixth)
Adjusted completion percentage vs. pressure: 56.4 percent (27th)
Adjusted completion percentage vs. blitz: 76.2 percent (third)
Deep adjusted completion percentage: 51.3 percent (ninth)
Average depth of target: 11.1 yards (19th)
Jones is viewed as the more prototypical prospect because of his size. In reality, based on testing numbers and metrics, Jones actually is the more athletic prospect while Grier has the bigger arm and better accuracy.
Grier had higher velocity on his throw, more depth per target and yards per attempt and completed a higher rate of deep passes. Grier’s biggest issue was against pressure. He was sacked 24 times to Jones’ 27. Grier also wasn’t productive on the ground, gaining just 148 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 147 carries (that includes sacks). Jones gained 1,323 yards on 406 rushing attempts (including sacks) with 17 touchdowns.
Both quarterbacks are known for their smarts. Grier’s offensive coordinator at West Virginia, Jake Spavital, trusted Grier and wide receiver David Sills to make checks at the goal line on their own.
