New England Patriots: Seven round 2018 mock draft

Round 1, Pick 23: QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville

With their first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Patriots select the heir apparent to quarterback Tom Brady.

Jackson is one of the most intriguing quarterbacks in this year’s draft. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 2016 after finishing second in the ACC with 30 passing touchdowns and first in rushing touchdowns with 21, per Sports Reference. He led the NCAA with 5,261 total yards, last season, including an ACC-most 3,660 passing yards and 1,601 rushing yards.

According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, Jackson met with New England on a pre-draft visit and left the team “intrigued and impressed.”

The Patriots don’t have an immediate need at quarterback, however, after trading away Jimmy Garoppolo last season, they don’t have a successor to Brady on the roster. Brady did seem impressed with Jackson after commenting “he’s a beast” on an NFL Network Instagram post linking the Louisville quarterback to New England.