New England Patriots Drafting Quarterback Jacob Eason
The New England Patriots are drafting quarterback Jacob Eason, according to Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft.
On Tuesday, Kiper released the most recent version of his preview for April’s big event.
The top two selections remained the same as his prior incarnations. Kiper had the Cincinnati Bengals selecting LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the top pick, and the Washington Redskins taking Ohio State’s Chase Young off the board at number two.
From there, things got a bit different.
Kiper suggested that the Detroit Lions would make a surprising selection and go for Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa with the third overall pick.
Up to this pint, most have had Tagovailoa going at number five to the Miami Dolphins.
Moreover, it has generally been assumed that Detroit would use its third selection to address its porous secondary.
Beyond those three picks, Kiper also caught a lot of people off guard with his prediction for what the Patriots would end up doing.
In light of Tom Brady being an unrestricted free agent this offseason and potentially departing the organization, Kiper thinks that New England will select Eason with the 23rd pick of the first round.
The Washington star will be a natural fit for Bill Belichick’s system, Kiper insists.
“Yes, that’s right, I’m now going with a quarterback for the Patriots, who still don’t know if they’ll have Tom Brady under center in 2020,” he wrote.
“Even if the 42-year-old free agent returns on a short-term deal, the Pats have to address the position on the first two days of the draft, so why not do it now?”
According to Kiper, there is currently a lot of “buzz” surrounding Eason heading into April.
On paper, at least, he possesses all of the physical attributes generally associated with success at the pro level.
Will the Patriots officially take Eason and anoint him Brady’s replacement? We’ll get an answer once and for all come mid-April.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
