The New England Patriots were expected to take a quarterback early in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, coach Bill Belichick and the organization surprised many of their fans when they took offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn (No. 23) and running back Sony Michel (No. 31) in the first round and cornerback Duke Dawson in the second round.
The Patriots waited until the seventh round before finally taking a signal-caller, selecting Danny Etling. With Etling’s selection, the Patriots now have three quarterbacks in their 90-man roster, including Tom Brady and fellow veteran Brian Hoyer.
The Patriots were expected to take Baker Mayfield or Lamar Jackson in the first round, but they were selected by the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens, respectively.
Patriots are No. 3 in ESPN’s ranking
Despite their shallow depth chart at quarterback, ESPN’s Dan Graziano placed the Patriots at No. 3 when it comes to QB Confidence Index. According to Graziano, the Patriots ranked high because of the 41-year-old Brady. Graziano said that as long as Brady is playing, the Patriots will always be in the running in discussions about having the best quarterback in the league. Graziano added that while Brady’s brilliance keeps the Patriots this high on the list, the high level of uncertainty prevented them from taking the top spot, occupied by Super Bowl LII champions Philadelphia Eagles, who have Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles as a starter while Carson Wentz recovers from a torn ACL.
The rating was good news for the Patriots when it comes to the AFC East. The Patriots rivals – the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills – invested their respective first-round picks in a quarterback. The Jets took Sam Darnold as the No. 3 overall pick while the Bills selected Josh Allen. The Miami Dolphins, for their part, are uncertain if Ryan Tannehill will regain his form after missing all of last season with an ACL tear.
Eagles No. 1, Packers No. 2
While there’s a good chance that Wentz won’t be able to play in Week 1, the Eagles are in good hands with Foles under center. After Wentz went down with an ACL tear in Week 14, Foles took over as the starter, carrying the Eagles all the way to the Super Bowl trophy. Foles finished the season with 537 passing yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions in seven games. The Green Bay Packers are No. 2 with Aaron Rodgers at the helm with Brett Hundley and DeShone Kizer as backups. Hundley and Kizer started a combined 24 games last season.
