Former New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton managed to turn one game against the Buffalo Bills' backups in Week 18 into a fairly robust trade market. Enticed by his arm, the Dallas Cowboys parted with a fifth-round pick to acquire Milton in a fairly surprising trade that sends a fifth-round pick to New England.
While the Patriots did sign veteran Josh Dobbs to back up franchise quarterback Drake Maye, both Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels studied under someone in Bill Belichick that was always willing to use picks on quarterbacks, no matter what the depth chart behind Tom Brady looked like.
Should they choose to channel that energy once more, the Patriots could end up replacing Milton with a player from the 2025 NFL Draft. This quarterback class may not be overpowering, but there are a few winners.
3 quarterbacks Patriots could replace Joe Milton with in 2025 NFL Draft
3. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Leonard has the ability to be a passable starter in this league. Like Milton, however, his strengths as a passer and terrific athletic ability can often be overshadowed by his lack of precise accuracy from the pocket and some concerns about his decision-making when under pressure.
Leonard could work on smoothing out the rough edges in his game while serving as QB3 during his rookie year, all while eventually being groomed to succeed Dobbs as Maye's primary backup. Like Maye, Leonard's playmaking ability will attract New England.
2. Kyle McCord, Syracuse
McCord was solid, if a bit disappointing, as the successor to CJ Stroud with Ohio State. Following his move to join the Orange, McCord was able to lead the country in passing yards on the back of a high-end football brain and one of the best deep balls in this class.
McCord may be the best option for the Patriots if they want a traditional pocket passer with an arm capable of making many of the throws Maye can. McCord's stock has risen slightly in the post-draft process, which means the Patriots may need to beat out several other teams to get him.
1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Gabriel's physical limitations may be the only thing keeping him out of the first few rounds. A six-year player with deadeye accuracy and the ability to avoid turnovers, Gabriel is let down by the lack of 5-10 left-handed quarterbacks with concerns about arm strength waddling around the NFL.
Gabriel may not be in an ideal situation in cold, windy New England, but McDaniels has typically been able to work with quarterbacks that don't have overwhelming arm strength in his career. Gabriel has found ways to make it work in college, and he could do more of the same in New England.