Former Patriots scout calls Jarrett Stidham Tom Brady’s heir apparent

After a strong preseason, one former New England Patriots scout claims that Jarrett Stidham has already established himself as Tom Brady’s heir.

Patriots fourth-round draft pick Jarrett Stidham is only 23. He’s a full decade younger than the quarterback he currently backs up on New England’s roster (Brian Hoyer), and he’s nearly two decades younger than the quarterback that Hoyer backs up (Tom Brady). He’s raw, he’s unpolished, and he’s still got so very much to learn.

And yet, at least one person with major credibility believes that Stidham has already asserted himself as Brady’s heir apparent.

According to NBC Sports’ Justin Leger, that person is Jim Nagy, who spent seven long years as a professional scout for the Patriots organization. Outside his tenure with New England, he also worked an additional 11 years as an NFL scout for other teams, occasionally has served at ESPN as an NFL draft analyst, and currently works as the executive director for the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

In other words, Nagy knows a thing or two about evaluating college football players and their potential to translate their gifts to the pros.

When Nagy joined NBC Sports’ “Next Pats Podcast” as a guest, he was asked about Stidham’s chances of one day succeeding Brady as the Patriots’ starting quarterback, and Nagy didn’t hold back in his assessment. Noting that “nobody downplays rookies quite like the Patriots,” he even went so far as to label Stidham as “the heir apparent” on Twitter.

Here’s what he said exactly on the podcast:

"“No question . . . Jarrett’s got starter ability. No doubt in my mind. If they develop him right. Again, quarterback play is all about opportunity and situation. I think he’s in a good spot to really maximize that. I think Jarrett could definitely be a starter in the NFL.”"

Stidham was absolutely sensational during his rookie preseason. Through four games of action, he completed 60 of his 90 pass attempts (66.66% completion percentage) for 731 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He also chipped in as a runner, scrambling for 88 yards on 17 attempts.