Based on multiple reports out of Foxboro, the ball was zipping around the field during 11-on-11 drills on Day 2 of the New England Patriots’ 2026 rookie minicamp. That’s certainly good news for a team whose quarterback depth chart is highly questionable behind starter Drake Maye.
The Patriots wound up drafting three players in the seventh round of April’s draft. The first of that group was Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton, a 24-year-old prospect who flew well under the radar during the pre-draft process. Dane Brugler of The Athletic didn’t include Morton in his top 300 rankings ahead of the draft, and he was viewed as little more than a dart-throw training-camp body when the Patriots selected him with the No. 234 overall pick.
He could end up being much more than that based on the early minicamp buzz from respected Patriots reporters like Mike Reiss and Evan Lazar.
“As the lone quarterback at rookie minicamp, Morton got all the reps during team drills and received some 1-on-1 coaching from offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels," Lazar wrote after Saturday's workout. "Morton and the passing offense looked sharp in team drills, with Morton connecting on all 12 of his passes. He threw with impressive zip between the numbers as he fit the ball into some tighter windows.”
The Patriots may have uncovered a hidden gem in QB Behren Morton
Morton was likely more on the periphery of the pre-draft radar due to his overall athletic profile. His sack-adjusted rushing totals over five years at Texas Tech came out to a humorous negative-38 yards.
The beauty of Josh McDaniels’ offense is that true pocket passers can thrive, and Morton seems to be a strong scheme fit. He completed 66 percent of his passes in 2025 for the Red Raiders and finished with 22 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. He averaged 231.7 passing yards per game and finished the year with a 154.6 passer rating.
At Patriots rookie minicamp, QB Behren Morton among the notable storylines.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) May 9, 2026
Looks like he is successful in basics of getting the play called, getting everyone lined up, cadence, and the ball is out on time and mostly accurate.
He’s 11-of-11 passing in the 11-on-11 period.
As one NFL scout recently told Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal: “(Morton's) played a lot of football, will stand in there and deliver the football, even if it means taking a shot, and is accurate.”
The Patriots could use some depth in their quarterback room, as current backup Tommy DeVito went undrafted in 2023 and has eight career starts under his belt for a couple of bad New York Giants teams. Morton could feasibly help round out the room this season, while giving the defense some quality looks on the scout team.
As for the long-term? The practice of taking late-round flyers on quarterbacks is smart business in the NFL. In a perfect world, Morton’s hot start in minicamp translates well over time, and he ends up being a quality backup for Maye on an extremely team-friendly contract. In that scenario, the Patriots would have a potential asset they could look to flip for much more value than a seventh-round draft pick. If Morton doesn’t pan out, the team could release him or attempt to stash him on the practice squad without batting an eye.
It’s all positive, and without going too overboard on some mostly meaningless 11-on-11 workouts in early May, Morton could end up being the overlooked draft pick that requires much more of Patriots fans’ attention than expected this summer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google