People around the NFL apparently believe it’s a foregone conclusion that the New England Patriots will select a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The question, however, is when?
Though some reports have indicated the Patriots are comfortable with handing the keys to second-year QB Jarrett Stidham, others suggest Bill Belichick prefers to keep his options open. The Patriots reportedly have shown interest in multiple quarterbacks — both those projected to go in the early rounds and those expected to wait a while — in the lead-up to next week’s draft.
NFL Media reporter Ian Rapoport discussed the Patriots Monday during an appearance on “NFL Total Access.”
“Everybody knows that they’re going to take a quarterback,” he said. “And, of course, when they released Cody Kessler, it opened up a spot in their quarterback room. They are going to select someone. Obviously, it does get complicated. They don’t have a second-round pick. So it seems to be, pick someone in the first round or pick someone in the mid-rounds. There’s really no in-between for the Patriots.
“No one has really seen what the Patriots look for in a top-flight quarterback. It’s been so long – really since Jimmy Garoppolo – since they’ve used a premium pick on a quarterback. That’s why there is so much intrigue surrounding them and who they actually like, and, of course, if one of the top quarterbacks slides — like Tua (Tagovailoa) or Jordan Love — are the Patriots going to pick them, and when, is going to be the biggest storyline of the draft. Everyone expects them to make some sort of move.”
From @NFLTotalAccess: #Patriots coach Bill Belichick's conference call today only re-emphasized what we know — it's going to be a bit different with Tom Brady. pic.twitter.com/pxXE099VUt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 13, 2020
For the first time in what feels like forever, the Patriots are among the more interesting teams to monitor ahead of the draft. Still, fans probably should prepare themselves for the possibility of Belichick trading out of the early rounds, hoarding assets and selecting a bunch of versatile, unheralded linebackers, or something.
The (all virtual) 2020 NFL Draft is scheduled to start Thursday, April 23.
