We’re through two days of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the New England Patriots have yet to address two of their highest-profile roster needs:
Quarterback and wide receiver.
Speaking early Saturday morning after Round 3 concluded, director of player personnel Nick Caserio said the Patriots will add a third quarterback to their depth chart behind Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer and could do so Saturday during the third and final day of the draft, which features Rounds 4 through 7.
“There are still some players I think that have a possibility of ending up on this team,” Caserio said in a video conference with reporters. “We have the picks sort of spread out tomorrow, but there are different ways you can get the players.”
Only one signal-caller (Alabama’s Jalen Hurts to Philadelphia) was selected Friday night, with Georgia’s Jake Fromm and Washington’s Jacob Eason surprisingly slipping to Day 3. In order for the Patriots to land either of those two, they’d likely need to trade up, as they dealt both of their fourth-round picks to the New York Jets in a move for tight end Dalton Keene and currently are not scheduled to pick again until the 14th pick of the fifth round.
Other QBs should be available in that range, however. Among those still unclaimed:
Jake Fromm, Georgia
Jacob Eason, Washington
James Morgan, Florida International
Anthony Gordon, Washington State
Jake Luton, Oregon State
Nate Stanley, Iowa
Cole McDonald, Hawaii
Tyler Huntley, Utah
More Patriots: Breaking Down New England’s QB Options In NFL Draft
The Patriots also have yet to dip into this year’s historically deep pool of wideout prospects. They don’t have a desperate need at the position but could benefit from adding a player like Ohio State’s K.J. Hill or Michigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones. Virginia’s Joe Reed, SMU’s James Proche and Boise State’s John Hightower also have been mentioned as potential Patriots targets.
Some notable receivers still on the board:
K.J. Hill, Ohio State
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan
Joe Reed, Virginia
Collin Johnson, Texas
Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty
John Hightower, Boise State
James Proche, SMU
Kalija Lipscomb, Vanderbilt
Quartney Davis, Texas A&M
Quez Watkins, Southern Miss
Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State
Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin
Aaron Parker, Rhode Island
Josh Pearson, Jacksonville State
Tyrie Cleveland, Florida
Dalton Schoen, Kansas State
Malcolm Perry, Navy
New England’s five-player haul on Day 2 consisted of one safety (Lenoir-Rhyne’s Kyle Dugger), two edge rushers (Michigan’s Josh Uche and Alabama’s Anfernee Jennings) and two tight ends (UCLA’s Devin Asiasi and Virginia Tech’s Keene).
Other remaining needs for the Patriots include inside linebacker, offensive tackle, interior offensive line, defensive tackle and kicker.
