Welcome to Potential Patriots!
Each day leading up to the NFL Draft on April 27, the Herald will introduce prospects the Patriots are likely targeting position by position. The Pats have 11 picks this year, starting at 14th overall, their highest selection in more than a decade. As for their other picks, the Patriots could pad their depth at virtually any position.
Below is a breakdown of the Patriots’ best prospect fits at quarterback:
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 244
Projected round: 1st
Scouting report: The Patriots have done some homework on quarterbacks, Richardson in particular. They’ve reportedly met with the Gators star. Add in the fact Pats personnel head Matt Groh didn’t dismiss the notion of adding a quarterback during his presser Tuesday, and it seems like the position is in the mix.
Whether it’s simply good business to draft a quarterback every year, or there’s legitimate friction between Bill Belichick and starter Mac Jones, it seems like the Pats might go back to the quarterback well with one of their 11 picks.
Richardson? There’s a slight chance he’ll still be around at No. 14. And while it seems crazy the Pats would take a quarterback with a first-round pick two years after drafting Jones at No. 15, these are strange times in Foxboro.
Richardson is the prototype of the modern quarterback who fits an RPO and vertical-passing offense that also takes advantage of his athleticism. He’s a freakish talent with great size, speed and arm strength. His accuracy and decision-making give pause, but he’s put enough eye-catching plays on film to project a promising future.
He would need time to be developed, but is a dynamic talent. Still, it’s hard to see the Pats taking a risky player at No. 14, especially a career 54.7 percent passer.
Ht/Wt: 6-3, 231
Projected round: 1st
Scouting report: Levis reportedly visited the Patriots on Wednesday, the final day teams could host prospects for pre-draft visits.
Like Richardson, it’s unlikely Levis will drop down as far as 14, but the Pats are doing their due diligence just in case. At the very least with both Richardson and Levis, the Pats could swap first-round picks while adding another draft pick from a quarterback-needy team wanting to move up.
Or, if Belichick is truly sour on Jones, they could go back to the quarterback well.
Levis, who was born in Newton and went to high school in Connecticut, is gifted physically, with the arm to beat coverages at all three levels. He still has work to do, but has talent worth the investment at some point in the first round.
Ht/Wt: 6-3, 229
Projected round: 2nd
Scouting report: He was headed toward being a first-round pick – and there’s still an outside chance he’ll land there – but a season-ending knee injury will likely have teams waiting until the second round.
Hooker actually has five years of playing experience having started at Virginia Tech before moving on and reinventing himself at Tennessee.
He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, setting a Vols record by throwing 261 passes without a pick. He finished his college career with 105 total touchdowns and 11,057 yards of total offense.
He’s athletic, and does a good job making plays with play-action, boots and rollouts.
He’s also smart, a good decision-maker, and projects as a developmental passer with starter potential. If the Pats want to invest in a Day 2 option, Hooker’s the guy.
Ht/Wt: 6-3, 213
Projected round: 4th-5th
Scouting report: If the Pats add a quarterback, Day 3 is likely where it’s at. And they’ve done some homework here, too.
O’Connell was a three-year starter at Purdue, and was productive in a spread offense as a traditional pocket passer.
He went from being a walk-on, to one of the best passers in Purdue history, setting the school record for career completion percentage (66.67%). So he’s accurate along with being a quick decision-maker.
Teams aren’t going to fear him taking off with the football, but given his accuracy, skillset and intangibles, could wind up a capable backup in the NFL. He fits in the Jones, Bailey Zappe mold.
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 207
Projected round: 4th-5th
Scouting report: He replaced Zach Wilson as the Cougars’ starter two years ago. In the process, became the first African-American starting quarterback in school history.
He’s smart, and a dual-threat passer. He would operate best in an RPO-based, play-action offense. His 51-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio stands out. He’s a multi-sport athlete, having played both basketball and baseball in high school, as well as football.
His size and arm strength will concern some teams, but offenses operating out of heavy play-action sets could target him as a future backup.
Ht/Wt: 6-3, 213
Projected round: 6th
Scouting report: He was the 2021 Harlan Hill Trophy Winner for the most valuable player in Division II.
Talk about a small school stud, he was ridiculously productive, racking up over 17,000 passing yards in his college career. He set the Division II record for passing touchdowns (159), throwing just 48 interceptions over five seasons. He averaged over 8.0 yards per pass for the Rams and completed nearly 70 percent of his passes.
Those marks were good enough to earn him an invite to the Senior Bowl.
He’s smart, he’s a leader, a quick processor in the pocket, and basically has a lot of traits the Patriots like in quarterbacks.
Ht/Wt: 6-2, 203
Projected round: 6th-7th
Scouting report: He’s been attached to the Patriots for several reasons. He played four seasons under Bill Belichick’s pal, Chip Kelly, which is always a plus. He also played under the Patriots coaching staff at the Shrine Bowl.
As a senior, he set a school record with a 69.6 completion percentage. He left UCLA as the school’s all-time leader in total offense (12,537), completions (860), touchdown passes (88) and total touchdowns (116).
He has a cannon for an arm.
The Pats spent a lot of time with him in the week lead up to the Shrine Bowl, so if they liked what they saw, he could be an option as a developmental third quarterback.