6. New England Patriots select quarterback of the future in Round 1
Maybe this move stems from a tiny desire inside all of us to see the decades-long stability of the New England Patriots organization shaken up by a little bit of chaos, but those possibly unhealthy feelings aside, there’s no question the Patriots need to plan for the future at quarterback.
Whether Tom Brady plays one more year or four more years, trading away Jimmy Garoppolo left the Patriots with a succession plan to fill. If the Patriots think Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph can be groomed into an NFL starter, he could be there for them at No. 23. But if they want someone like Lamar Jackson, they might have to package some of those picks to trade up — which feels aggressive.
Still, it would be something of a disappointment to see the Patriots walk away from Day 1 without handing in a card bearing the name of one of these young quarterbacks. There are options for New England with their picks in Round 2 (Nos. 43 and 63), but those players — Kyle Lauletta, Logan Woodside, Mike White — are question marks in terms of future starting ability.