Draft rumors: Patriots showing “a ton of interest” in Will Grier

According to some draft reports, the New England Patriots have recently displayed “a ton of interest” in selecting WVU quarterback Will Grier.

This is the time of year when every news report, insider source, and leaked bit of information must be taken with a grain of salt when it comes to the NFL Draft. We’re simply too close to the actual date of the draft itself, that each and every development you read about has as much chance of being deliberate misinformation/a smokescreen as it does of being a legitimate scoop.

That being said, it’s still awfully fun to speculate. And with so much intrigue and theorizing occurring as we approach the final few days before the event itself gets underway in Nashville, it’s worth examining some of the more substantiated rumors to see if they might hold water down the road.

In this case, a noted draft analyst, Tony Pauline, ran a report that stated the New England Patriots have recently expressed “a ton of interest” in selecting West Virginia quarterback Will Grier in the 2019 NFL Draft – and perhaps as early as Thursday, since they do own the No. 32 pick (the last pick of Round 1). Here’s what the report said exactly:

"I was informed that he was rising up draft boards weeks ago and struggled to believe it, but as they say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. So where could Grier land? As early as the late part of Round 1 and no later than the middle portion of the second frame. Who could draft the Mountaineers quarterback? The New England Patriots have shown a ton of interest in Grier and could draft him as the first round closes out."

We had Grier going to the Patriots as well – but not until the fourth round. In our mock draft, New England spends the 134th pick of the 2019 Draft on the seasoned quarterback, who completed 65.7% of his passes for 71 touchdowns against just 20 interceptions over two seasons with the Mountaineers.

Grier to the Patriots is certainly not a sure thing. As a matter of fact, any player going to the Patriots – ever – is never a sure thing, as Bill Belichick is a master of disguising his intentions and operating his role as New England G.M. in a way that no one else in the NFL ever could.

That said, it’s a safe bet that the Patriots could be looking for Tom Brady’s successor in the near future, as the quarterback is due to turn 42 before the new season gets underway. And amongst the eligible signal-callers in this year’s pool, Grier arguably makes the most sense as an option that would theoretically still be available when New England is on the clock.