NFL reporter makes strong statement about Joe Milton's battle against Bailey Zappe for the No. 3 QB job with Patriots

Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but that doesn't mean he's guaranteed a spot on the team's 53-man roster this fall. 

Drake Maye, New England's first round pick earlier this spring, and veteran Jacoby Brissett, are expected to be the top two quarterbacks on the Patriots' depth chart in 2024. 

Milton, meanwhile, is battling Bailey Zappe, a fourth round draft pick by the Patriots in the 2022 NFL Draft, for the No. 3 spot. 

Zappe obviously has more NFL experience, but it's Milton that has more upside. 

The Athletic's Jeff Howe noted this week that New England hopes to enter "the meat of training camp" with three quarterbacks, which means that a decision between Zappe and Milton will eventually have to be made. 

From The Athletic: Ideally, the Patriots hope to enter the meat of training camp with three quarterbacks. That likely either means they’ll be releasing Zappe or shelving Milton. If the Patriots are convinced Maye has legitimate Year 1 starting potential, that probably means Zappe would be the odd man out. Otherwise, they might believe it’d be more beneficial to roster Zappe as an extra veteran. It wouldn’t make much sense to release Milton before final roster cuts.

Howe, who has been present at New England's offseason activities, strongly suggested that Milton has a "much higher ceiling" than Zappe. 

"Milton very clearly has a much higher ceiling than Zappe, but the rookie has to do a better job of controlling his throws," wrote Howe. 

It's still far too early to know how Milton will fare in the NFL. OTAs and minicamps aren't exactly "real football". And Milton hasn't been receiving many reps early in the offseason. 

We'll have a much better idea of where Milton stands on the depth chart once training camp gets underway and the intensity is ramped up. 

For now, though, at least based on Howe's comment about Milton's ceiling, it sounds like the former Tennessee quarterback has the early edge over Zappe for a spot on New England's 53-man roster.