Despite using a first-round pick on a QB last year, the Patriots have used a 2021 fourth-rounder on another. The Patriots have drafted Western Kentucky QB Bailey Zappe.
Zappe had a prolific 2021 season, setting single-season FBS records for most passing yards (5,967) and passing TDs (62). The 23-year-old wasn’t considered to have the same upside as some of the QBs taken before him, but he was still a popular name in the workout circuit. The Panthers were among the teams that expressed interest in Zappe.
It’s a bit of a curious move for the Patriots, after Mac Jones earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie in 2021. Of course, Bill Belichick and Co. weren’t afraid to use draft picks on QBs during Tom Brady‘s tenure in New England. During Brady’s time with the Patriots, the team used first- to fourth-round picks on six QBs (Rohan Davey, Kevin O’Connell, Ryan Mallett, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett and Jarrett Stidham).
Jones will surely be the starter in 2022, but the rest of the depth chart will be interesting to watch. Zappe will compete with veteran Brian Hoyer for the No. 2 spot. The Patriots are also still rostering Stidham, a fourth-round pick in 2019.
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