New England Patriots: 7-Round 2018 mock draft in mid-March

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With Tom Brady still playing at an MVP level, the New England Patriots simply could not afford to keep Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster any longer. Garoppolo would have hit free agency this offseason and the Pats would have not been able to afford to keep him around. Instead of letting that happen, Belichick and company traded Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers prior to the trade deadline last season.

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Now, the Patriots have to find a young quarterback who they can groom to take over whenever Brady is ready to retire. In this mock draft, they use the very same draft pick acquired in the Garoppolo trade to select former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Lamar Jackson.

In the last Patriots’ mock draft I completed, I was not able to find the appropriate time to add a strong quarterback prospect. However, this time around, Jackson feels like a strong pick in the early second round.

On the surface, Jackson may seem like an odd fit for the Patriots. He was a run-first quarterback in college who showed incredible speed and athleticism at the position. With Brady under center, the Patriots do not exactly run an offensive scheme that showcases mobility at the quarterback position. However, if you look closer, Jackson is actually a strong fit in New England.

At Louisville, Jackson ran a pro-style offense that has similarities to what the Patriots do. In this post over at Pats Pulpit, Evan Lazar does a great job showing how the offense that Jackson ran at Louisville is similar to what the Patriots do.

Both Louisville and the Patriots run the Erhardt system. Lazar explains it well:

"“The Erhardt system label speaks to the verbiage that an offense uses to call plays, which in this case focuses on one-word associations to specific route concepts,” Lazar wrote. “For example, we often hear Tom Brady yell “Linda” at the line of scrimmage, which tells his receivers which routes to run based on the coverage. That style of play calling allows the quarterback to change the play on the fly quickly, and it enables the coaching staff to plug in any receiver into any spot of the offense.” “For Lamar Jackson, it’s deeper than just how the plays were called at his alma mater when it comes to his fit with the Patriots. At Louisville, Jackson was also asked to make very similar reads and throws to what the Patriots run, and his favorite passing concepts are some of the Patriots’ favorites as well.”"

Lazar continues on to show specific reads and throws that Jackson made at Louisville. Let’s just say that these clips will look extremely familiar to any Patriots’ fan. I cannot recommend this post by Lazar enough, and it is a huge reason why I placed Jackson to the Patriots in this mock draft.

Jackson is a mobile quarterback who will make plays with his legs at the next level. But he also has incredible arm talent and great decision-making ability. He is a raw player who consistently struggles with technique and has spotty accuracy at times. However, his long-term upside is absolutely massive.

The Patriots run a complicated offensive system that is extremely difficult for many players to pick up. However, Jackson’s familiarity in a similar offense would give him a huge advantage.

Landing with the New England Patriots would be an ideal situation for Lamar Jackson. He could sit behind Brady for at least the next two years, working with the Patriots’ offensive coaches to fix his technique and learn all the intricacies of their complicated offense.

Once Brady retires, Jackson could step in and provide the Patriots with massive upside at the quarterback position. This would be an ideal situation for both the player and team, making Jackson a fantastic selection for the New England Patriots early in the second round.

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