The quarterback position hasn’t really felt solidified for the New England Patriots since Tom Brady was under center.
Cam Newton was there for one year, and then he wasn’t. Now, Mac Jones, the golden child that was supposed to serve as the next franchise face, is the subject of trade rumors after a frustrating 2022 season.
The Patriots are standing on rocky ground at quarterback, and that makes them one of the more interesting teams to watch heading into the 2023 NFL draft.
We’re going through every position here at Patriots Wire with this pre-draft series. Today, we’ll start at the top with the team’s ongoing quarterback discussion.
Who's on the roster?
- Mac Jones
- Bailey Zappe
The Patriots have their top-two quarterbacks on the roster.
Jones might be the subject of trade talk, but if the season started today, he’d be the one lining up under center. And to be fair, the disaster that was last season really wasn’t his fault.
He lost his offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and coach Bill Belichick’s grand plan for a replacement was putting an offensive play-calling sheet in the hands of a defensive coach. Let’s not forget that Jones finished his rookie year by winning the final seven games of the regular season and going to a Pro Bowl.
Meanwhile, Zappe-mania was running wild when Bailey Zappe went from a third-string quarterback to a miracle worker last season. He nearly knocked off the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in his NFL debut, and then he cruised to back-to-back wins over the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions.
If the answer isn’t Jones, it might be Zappe for the Patriots.
Who left this offseason?
- Brian Hoyer
Longtime Patriots backup Brian Hoyer was released by the team back in March, which was odd given their current situation.
It would have made sense for New England to at least keep one veteran on the roster, and as a player that knows the offense and the coaching staff, Hoyer would have been a perfect veteran option on the depth chart. He recently signed a two-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders to reunite with McDaniels.
The Patriots are now in a position where they’ll need to consider signing a veteran on the free agent market for added depth.
Positional need: Low
Jason McCourty recently warned Patriots fans to be careful what they wished for in regards to Mac Jones potentially being traded.
The grass isn’t always greener.
Jones is only in the third year of a potential five-year rookie contract. It would make more sense for the Patriots to put out the fires of the trade rumors, move past the disastrous 2022 season and see if they can tap back into the player Jones flashed as a rookie.
With Jones and Zappe on the roster, there’s no need in making any splashy moves at quarterback. A simple veteran addition off the free agent market would suffice.
Top draft prospects
- Bryce Young
- C.J. Stroud
- Will Levis
- Anthony Richardson
Unless the Patriots shockingly move on from Jones, they’ll be out of the hunt for one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2023 NFL draft. They already have their starter in Jones, and they used a fourth-round pick on Zappe in 2022. This is the draft for New England to focus on other positions.
2023 NFL draft position preview
- Quarterback
- Running back
- Wide receiver
- Tight end
- Offensive line
- Defensive tackle
- Edge rusher
- Linebacker
- Cornerback
- Safety
- Specialists
