The New England Patriots managed to make one of the louder additions on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, as they went hunting for a long-term Drake Maye backup and zeroed in on former Texas tech quarterback Behren Morton to further that end.
With the No. 234 pick in the Draft, New England selected the Red Raiders' gunslinger fresh off leading his team to a college football playoff birth. After spending a first-round pick on offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and a third-rounder on tight end Eli Raridon, the Patriots continue to prioritize offense.
Morton and Tommy DeVito will compete for the backup job behind Maye. Even with DeVito having seemingly beaten out Josh Dobbs for the job by being retained in the offseason, Morton represents a new challenger who could win that gig if the former Giants UDFA isn't able to keep him at bay.
Patriots use No. 234 pick in 2026 NFL Draft on Texas Tech QB Behren Morton
Morton is at his best when he can play point guard and rhythmically distribute the ball to his receivers. he has an accurate arm, more than enough mobility to make plays on the move, and has gradually gotten much better when it comes to recognizing pre-snap disguises.
The lack of elite arm talent is ultimately what is going to hurt Morton, as his velocity starts to drop when he tries to rip it down the field. When paired with some major injury concerns and inability to stay in clean pockets all the time, Morton puts a hard ceiling on a passing game.
The Patriots' Day 3 process, which comes without Mike Vrabel in the room due to his ongoing scandal, has been all over the map. While they were widely considered to have reached on Wake Forest CB Karon Prunty at No. 171 overall, the Patriots landed a steal in Texas A&M OT Dametrious Crownover at No. 196 overall before a more adequate value pick in TCU linebacker Namdi Obaiazor at No. 212 overall.
Morton will try to show the Patriots that he is more than capable of giving them the added security behind Maye they were looking for.
Add us as a preferred source on Google