It was maybe the most surprising selection in a draft that was full of them. The Patriots took Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe in the fourth round, which is odd on the surface, considering Mac Jones is just entering his sophomore season.
But a closer examination shows that picking Zappe was not an unusual move for Bill Belichick. In fact, it might’ve been the most conventional selection the Patriots made, considering they reached on a litany of their picks.
Even when Tom Brady was around, the Patriots frequently drafted quarterbacks in the middle rounds: Rohan Davey, Kevin O’Connell, Ryan Mallett, Jacoby Brissett, Jarrett Stidham. That’s not even counting late-round choices Matt Cassel and Kliff Kingsbury or second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo, who many believe was pegged to replace Brady.
With that history in mind, drafting Zappe fits into Belichick’s seemingly long-held belief that quarterbacks are good value selections in the middle of the draft. And Zappe is a talented player. The Hilltopper broke FBS records for most passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62) in a season in 2021.
This might’ve also been a case where the Patriots simply took the best player left on their board.
Even with Jones under contract for potentially four more seasons (counting this one), the Patriots could use another quarterback. Brian Hoyer, whom the Patriots re-signed this offseason, is 36 years old and may be more valuable as a resource than player at this point in his career. Stidham is also entering the last year of his rookie deal, and given that he never received a real look post-Brady, his days could be numbered.
While Zappe won’t be competing for the starting job, he could be a quality and affordable backup for years to come. Some draft analysts compared him to Nick Mullens, who’s enjoyed a solid four-year career, three of which have been with the 49ers. San Francisco went 5-11 in games Mullens started.
There is also the bonus that Zappe’s mere presence could push Jones, which might explain some of Belichick’s thinking, too. He never wants his players to be comfortable.
It’s worth noting that Jones welcomed every Patriots draft pick on his Instagram story — except Zappe. Seeing how Jones responds to another young QB in the room could be part of his development as well.
The Packers used to regularly draft quarterbacks when Brett Favre was around, which is how they found Kurt Warner, Matt Hasselbeck and eventually, Aaron Rodgers. Even if Zappe doesn’t play, the Patriots could trade him down the line and extract some value that way. New England netted wideout Philip Dorsett from the Colts when it traded Brissett to Indianapolis.
Quarterback is the most important position in sports, and the Patriots improved their room without expending extra capital. Few of Belichick’s picks over the weekend seemed to make much sense, except Zappe. The Patriots’ most surprising pick might’ve been their most sensible.
