With future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady now suiting up for Tampa Bay and the New England Patriots out of the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the question is simple MyBookie NFL betting faithful. Will the Patriots draft a quarterback in the 2021 NFL draft? Let’s find out so you start planning ahead your bets and place them against our NFL Draft odds.
2021 NFL Draft: Will the Patriots Take a Quarterback?
Since become head coach of New England in 2000, Bill Belichick has selected 11 quarterbacks in the NFL Draft including Brady with the 199th overall selection in 2000. However, outside of Brady, the Patriots have had little success in finding competent signal-callers.
Let’s review all of the quarterbacks the patriots have selected during Belichck’s tenure before looking ahead at what New England might do in the 2021 NFL draft.
Patriots Quarterbacks Drafted in Belichick Era
- 2000, Round 6, Pick 199: Tom Brady, Michigan
- 2002, Round 4, Pick 117: Rohan Davey, LSU
- 2003, Round 6, Pick 201: Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
- 2005, Round 7, Pick 205: Matt Cassel, USC
- 2008, Round 3, Pick 94: Kevin O’Connell, San Diego State
- 2010, Round 7, Pick 250: Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State
- 2011, Round 3, Pick 74: Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
- 2014, Round 2, Pick 64: Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois
- 2016, Round 3, Pick 91: Jacoby Brissett, North Carolina State
- 2018, Round 7, Pick 219: Danny Etling, LSU
- 2019, Round 4, Pick 133: Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
After hitting a home run of epic proportions with the Brady pick, New England struck out in 2002 on former LSU signal-caller Rohan Davey who last just three seasons in the league. Belichick then took current Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury in the sixth round of the 2003 draft, although he never suited up for the Patriots and played one game in the league with the Jets in 2005.
The Patriots then hit a ‘triple’ by drafting Matt Cassel out of USC in 2005. Cassel played for the Pats four season, starting the entire 2008 campaign after Brady was injured and leading New England to a 10-5 mark that season. Belichick parlayed that performance into a trade (along with linebacker Mike Vrabel) to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 34th overall pick in the 2009 draft.
New England then struck out big on Kenin O’Connell and Zac Robinson who played all of two combined games in the league. Former Arkansas star Ryan Mallett played four games for the Patriots in 2012 before getting traded to Houston.
Belichick then made a pair of smart quarterback selections in 2014 and 2016 by drafting Jimmy Garoppolo out of Eastern Illinois and Jacoby Brissett out of North Carolina State. The Pats traded Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 for a second-round pick and he’s turned out to be Frisco’s franchise quarterback.
Brissett started two games and went 1-1 in 2016 while Brady was serving a four-game suspension from the Deflategate scandal. The Patriots eventually traded the cerebral signal-caller to Indianapolis in 2017 in exchange for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.
Former LSU signal-caller Danny Etling never played a single game in the league after being picked in the seventh round of the 2018 draft and former Auburn signal-caller Jarett Stidham couldn’t claim the starting job this season after Brady bounced, forcing Belichick to turn to former Carolina Panthers franchise star and 2015 league MVP Cam Newton, who has been borderline abysmal this season.
Now, looking ahead, new England is currently in place to get the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft with games remaining against the division rival Bills (loss) and Jets (win).
While elite stars like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields will be long gone by the time New England picks, North Dakota’s Trey Lance could be available at No. 15 or, more likely, BYU’s Zach Wilson, Florida’s Kyle Trask or Alabama’s Mac Jones, three quarterbacks that are expected to be the fourth through sixth quarterbacks taken.
Georgia’s Jamie Newman, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond or Iowa State’s Brock Purdy could become second round picks for the Patriots or New England could go for Texas’ Sam Ehlinger or Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan. Another player that Belichick could go for even later is Mississippi State’s KJ Costello, who, at 6-5 and 215 pounds, just looks like an NFL quarterback.
No matter which of the aforementioned college quarterbacks that Belichick chooses, New England will almost certainly have to draft a quarterback as I expect Newton won’t be back next season and Stidham is clearly not the answer under center.
Will the Patriots draft a quarterback in the 2021 NFL draft? The answer is an unequivocal Hell Yes!
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