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New England Patriots: Seven 2019 NFL Draft predictions

By Hal Bent

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 03: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on prior to Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 03: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on prior to Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates with Brian Hoyer #2 during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates with Brian Hoyer #2 during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Patriots DO NOT draft a quarterback

Quarterback Tom Brady is pretty darn old for an NFL player. That said, he has also won two of the last three Super Bowls, three of the last five, and he threw for more than 500 yards passing in the one Super Bowl they lost in that timespan. In the one year he did not get to the Super Bowl during this same chronological stretch, Brady absorbed enough punishment to warrant an early retirement, and yet he still stood in there against Denver and drove the team to a fantastic finish that almost sent the game to overtime.

A major problem with picking a quarterback high in the draft is that the Patriots already have a back-up quarterback that they are very, very comfortable with running the offense. Some members of the New England fanbase see Brian Hoyer as a joke at quarterback; but to the offensive coaches, Hoyer is one of the few quarterbacks in the NFL who possesses an intimate knowledge of the Patriots offense, while still boasting experience in other teams’ systems as a former starter.

Is Hoyer a talented quarterback who can carry a team? Of course not. Can he hold down the offense for a few starts in an emergency? Definitely. Is he the long-term answer? Definitely not. However, he is a quality back-up quarterback with an established rapport with Brady.

Could the Patriots take a quarterback at the end of the draft to battle with Danny Etling? It’s possible. But at this point, the Patriots are rolling with Brady and Hoyer as their two quarterbacks.

With the current roster construction, it will take a big-time prospect dropping to the Patriots to consider adding another quarterback to the current roster.

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