While the Patriots have been heavily scouting all the top quarterbacks coming out in the NFL Draft, it may be time for the organization to start shifting its focus to the next tier of players.
It’s becoming more and more likely the Patriots will not be drafting a quarterback in Round 1. The top three picks of the draft are almost locks to be quarterbacks and there’s a good chance No. 4 is too. They are almost certainly not going to trade that high, and then whatever player is left between Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones figures to come off the board shortly thereafter.
Based on what it would cost to move up from No. 15 overall, it’s hard to imagine Bill Belichick and Co. doing so for the fifth quarterback to come off the board.
Therefore, when it comes to quarterbacks the Patriots should really be paying attention to, it’s the second tier and players likely to go on Day 2 or early on Day 3.
Here are some names to get to know.
Kyle Trask (Florida)
Trask is the consensus No. 6 QB in the draft following a breakout 2020 season. The Florida product completed 69% of his passes for 4,283 yards and 43 touchdowns to go along with eight interceptions. He did have a poor performance in his last college game, throwing three early interceptions in the Cotton Bowl, but it’s worth noting a majority of Florida’s skill players sat out the game. Due to injury, he did not participate in the Senior Bowl. Trask has faced some adversity in his career, which could be a positive for teams who are considering him. He’s far from a lock to succeed in the NFL, but does seem like the pretty clear-cut best QB in the second tier.
Kellen Mond (Texas A&M)
The Texas A&M product has seen his stock grow this offseason after being named the MVP of the Senior Bowl. There were accuracy concerns with Mond going into his senior season, but he completed 63% of his passes and threw just three interceptions, compared to 19 touchdown passes. He’s an athletic quarterback with a strong arm and feels similar to Fields or Lance, more so than Jones.
Jamie Newman (Georgia)
Newman may be one of the most intriguing players in the next tier as he hasn’t played in a game in almost two years. After transferring to Georgia from Wake Forest following 2019, he sat out all of last year because of COVID-19. He is a true dual-threat QB, as he totaled 574 yards rushing during his last season at Wake Forest. Any team that selects Newman will be taking a chance and banking on his upside.
Ian Book (Notre Dame)
Book put up good numbers at Notre Dame over the last two years — 49 touchdown passes to just nine interceptions — but there are concerns about how the undersized QB’s play will translate to the NFL level. Selecting this player feels more like just having an extra body over the summer and not someone truly competing for a spot on the roster.
Sam Ehlinger (Texas)
This player truly is a dual-threat option, as during his career at Texas he finished with 127 total touchdowns — 93 passing and 33 rushing. A team that likes this aspect of his game could take a chance on him, but it feels like it would be for certain situations and packages. It does not seem like he has the skillset to be a full-time NFL starter.