USA TODAY International Edition
3 prospects Pats could consider as Brady’s heir
The buzz leading up to the NFL draft has largely revolved around the topflight quarterbacks — where Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen will be selected, and by whom.
But perhaps the most intriguing quarterback question could come down to this: Lamar Jackson, Kyle Lauletta or Mason Rudolph?
“I think those are the names you’re going to hear with the Patriots,” ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said in a recent conference call. “And I’m fascinated to see how they move forward.”
As Tom Brady nears his 41st birthday and former heir apparent Jimmy Garoppolo settles into his new home in San Francisco, the Patriots will enter the draft with eight picks, including four of the top 63 overall, and no clear longterm plan at quarterback.
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said in a conference call this spring that the search for Brady’s successor is becoming “more and more urgent.” And McShay said he’d be “very surprised” if the Patriots do not use at least one of those early selections on a quarterback.
But which one?
Mayock and McShay said the first passer for coach Bill Belichick to evaluate is Jackson, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner from Louisville who is expected to go in the mid- to late first round. The caveat: Belichick has never drafted a quarterback higher than No. 62 overall (Garoppolo in 2014), and he hasn’t spent a first-round pick on an offensive player, period, since 2011.
“It’s a contrarian move,” Mayock said on a conference call Friday. “But can you go from Tom Brady to Lamar Jackson?”
McShay, meanwhile, said Lauletta makes lots of sense, both because of his playing style and personal background. A former high school lacrosse player, Lauletta is the son of a former Navy quarterback, and his uncle, Lex, was a lacrosse player there. Belichick is a welldocumented lacrosse fan and longtime admirer of the Naval Academy, where his father, Steve, was a coach and scout.
“The Navy connection for Belichick. Lacrosse player. There’s a lot of things there,” McShay said. “And more importantly, he’s (got) fast eyes. Intelligent. Picks things up quickly. I think he’d be effective in that quarterback room with Brady and could serve a purpose early on when he’s not playing and learning and developing.”
Lauletta completed 64.9% of his passes at Richmond last season, throwing for more than 3,700 yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s described himself as someone who relies on accuracy and timing — two of the traits for which Brady is best known.
“People look at these big-framed quarterbacks who can throw the ball really far and really hard, and it definitely helps,” he told For The Win last week. “But the more you study quarterbacks and look at the position, if you throw the ball on time, you don’t necessarily need to throw the ball 75 yards to be an effective quarterback.”
Mayock said the more he watches Lauletta, the more he likes him. But he also sees Rudolph, the 6-5, 230-pounder and three-year starter at Oklahoma State, as a strong fit for New England. Rudolph finished with 92 touchdowns to just 26 interceptions in 42 starts for the Cowboys.
“If he becomes a quality starter in the NFL, I don’t think it would surprise me,” Mayock said Friday. “I think he’s the best deep ball touch and accuracy thrower in this draft.”
Maybe the Patriots will go in a completely different direction, such as trading up in an attempt to draft Mayfield or Rosen should they start to slip. Maybe they’ll wait until Day 3 to draft someone such as Washington State’s Luke Falk. Or maybe they won’t draft a quarterback.
Belichick is loathe to discuss anything even remotely revealing about what the Patriots will do.
“We’ll do what’s best for the football team,” he told reporters this month when asked specifically about quarterbacks in the draft. “We’ll look at our opportunities and do what’s best.”