So much for the New England Patriots using a “premium pick” on a quarterback. No wonder we couldn’t figure out how they would accomplish that.
The Patriots exited Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft without a rookie quarterback. They instead selected Lenoir-Rhyne safety Kyle Dugger, Michigan linebacker Josh Uche, Alabama edge defender Anfernee Jennings, UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi and Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene.
It sounds like the Patriots still could take a quarterback with one of their six Day 3 picks. And Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio made it clear that the team will add a quarterback at some point. But they didn’t come away with Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love or Jalen Hurts on the first two days of the draft.
More: 2020 NFL Draft Tracker: Live Results, Order For Every Second-, Third-Round Pick
“You can only pick so many players,” Caseiro said Saturday morning on a video conference call. “Four of them went off the board in first round yesterday. Hurts went off in this round. There are still some players I think that have a possibility of ending up on this team. We have the picks sort of spread out tomorrow, but there are different ways you can get the players.
“We’re going to have a third quarterback on our roster, pair them up with Jarrett and Brian. Those guys are working hard and started the offseason program. Both are in our program. We’re going to have a player here at that position. Where he comes from or how he gets here is sort of yet to be determined. But there are a few guys that we like and we feel comfortable with. Now it’s just a matter of how we get them on the team.”
Washington’s Jacob Eason, Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Oregon State’s Jake Luton, FIU’s James Morgan and Iowa’s Nate Stanley are still available and potential Patriots fits. If the Patriots were looking for more of an athletic option, then Utah’s Tyler Huntley, Ohio’s Nathan Rourke and Mississippi State’s Tommy Stevens also are still on the board.
The Patriots don’t pick next until midway through the fifth round at No. 159 overall. The fourth round starts with the 107th overall pick. The Patriots could package 2020 or future picks if the quarterback they want starts falling.
Then again, they couldn’t want a quarterback too badly since they traded both of their fourth-round picks and a future sixth to take tight end Dalton Keene at the end of the third round.
