(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
It was no secret that the New England Patriots were in the market for a new franchise quarterback this offseason, and they surprised absolutely no one when they selected Drake Maye with the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft after trading Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
They did, however, make a more surprising pick when they took Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton in the sixth round, and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf has now revealed what went into that selection.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter had Wolf on his podcast recently and the two discussed the Milton pick, with Wolf saying “I had the opportunity to watch Joe play live, the last game of the year against Vanderbilt. I got there really early and watched him warm up, and just watching him throw the football is unbelievable. He’s 6’5″, 245 pounds. He’s got a rocket for an arm. He’s athletic.”
Eliot Wolf on sixth-round QB Joe Milton (Tennessee): "I had the opportunity to watch Joe play live, the last game of the year against Vanderbilt. I got there really early and watched him warm up, and just watching him throw the football is unbelievable. He's 6-5, 245 pounds. He's… https://t.co/A4ElPISnws
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) May 7, 2024
Wolf also added that although he didn’t play in an NFL offense at Tennessee, “we feel like there’s some things that we can work with and develop” and “there was too much talent in him to pass that up.”
Milton spent six years in college and finally got a chance to start full-time last year, but slipped in the draft due to his inconsistency and inaccuracy.
Nobody has ever questioned the raw talent as a thrower and a runner, but now he’ll have the chance to marinate on the bench and learn from an NFL coaching staff.
Milton won’t be taking Maye’s job anytime soon, but there’s plenty of value in a backup quarterback or a potential late-round home run pick.
New England Patriots cut quarterback as Drake Maye plan steps up
The New England Patriots have cut quarterback Nathan Rourke, leaving them with four quarterbacks on the roster ahead of the first practice session later this month
The New England Patriots’ quarterback are finetuning their quarterback options after drafting Drake Maye (Image: GETTY)
New England Patriots are continuing to address their quarterback room as they prepare to give Drake Maye the best possible chance for success in hist first in Foxborough.
Nathan Rourke had been on the Patriots depth chart, giving them five signal-callers on the roster, but with the first run of practice sessions set for May the team have made decision to trim their resources and have cut Rourke who had been with the team on a futures contract since last season.
However, the Patriots drafted Drake Maye as the third overall pick, and he is expected to compete for the starting position alongside veteran Jacoby Brissett – who returned to the team after spells with Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland and Washington.
The Patriots also brought in former Tennessee starter Joe Milton via the NFL Draft, a promising player with a powerful right arm who some believe could be a future NFL starter, and looks set to succeed Rourke as the team’s developmental player at the position.
In addition to these three, the Patriots have retained Bailey Zappe, who has started games in his first two seasons with the team, but was waived twice in the 2023 season.
With Rourke’s departure, the Patriots will focus on the remaining four quarterbacks – allowing them to distribute reps among them as they decide who will stay on the roster and, crucially, who will start.
Maye and Brissett look set to be the future under centre after Mac Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars before the draft following three seasons in New England that started brightly and faded fast.
The Patriots are set to kick off their off-season training on May 20, as part of the NFL’s Organized Team Activities (OTA’s) sessions. This will see Maye join his fellow quarterbacks in throwing practice with their receivers.
Brissett may get the initial decision to start, the veteran’s experience would give Maye time to acclimatise to the offense and the NFL.
Drake Maye is hoping to be the future of the Patriots franchise, as he’ll compete with Jacoby Brissett for the starting role ( Image: Getty)
The Patriots have also brought on board former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt as their playcaller – a familiar face for Brissett from the 2022 season. With an impressive 53-25 touchdown-to-interception ratio under his belt, Brissett could be the day one starter despite Maye being an early pick in the class.
While Maye is seen as the future of the franchise, some suggest it might be wise for the 21 year old to sit out his rookie season – much like Patrick Mahomes did in his first year with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Meanwhile, sixth-round quarterback Milton will be vying with Zappe for the third-string role. It’s rare for NFL teams to carry four quarterbacks on their roster, so Milton will get his chance to shine in the upcoming OTA’s, likely playing a significant role in the preseason games in August.
