The New England Patriots are receiving an up-close look Friday at one of the 2021 NFL Draft’s top quarterback prospects.
Patriots executive Eliot Wolf was part of the large contingent of NFL evaluators who made the trip to Provo, Utah, for Zach Wilson’s BYU pro day, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB.
The Patriots currently have no long-term answer behind center with Cam Newton on a new one-year contract. After filling all of their immediate needs through free agency, they could look to trade up for their quarterback of the future in the first round of next month’s draft.
But barring a late slide, Wilson likely won’t be in New England’s range. He’s widely viewed as the second-best QB in this year’s draft behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and has a good chance to go second overall to the New York Jets. Even if the Jets opt to trade that pick and acquire additional assets rather than grab Wilson, there’s a zero percent chance they’d be willing to hand him to the rival Patriots.
Wilson won’t be the only prospect at BYU’s pro day, though. A total of 20 players are expected to participate.
One notable name among the non-Wilson attendees is Dax Milne, the Cougars’ leading receiver last season (70-1,188-8). Milne reportedly has met virtually with the Patriots during the pre-draft process.
