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Will the Patriots find Tom Brady's successor on Day 1 of the NFL draft?

Tom Brady isn't getting any younger, turning 41 in August and entering his 19th NFL season in September. And with the New England Patriots trading away Jimmy Garoppolo in October, they'll need to find the quarterback of the future sooner rather than later.

New England hasn't selected a quarterback in the first round of the draft since 1993, when the team took Drew Bledsoe first overall. That could change this week, as the Pats have two first-round picks (Nos. 23 and 31 overall) in this year's draft, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday.

So, will the Patriots find Brady's successor on Day 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft?

The Patriots will find Brady's successor outside of the first round despite having two picks on Day 1. If you look at how they typically do business of late, they spend second- or third-round picks on quarterbacks who are four-year college players (and two- or three-year starters).

There are a handful of guys who'll be available on Day 2. A lot of people see Richmond's Kyle Lauletta as the probable choice, but I think Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph could be in the mix. Western Kentucky's Mike White and Washington State's Luke Falk might also be in play. The Patriots will get Brady's successor in the first round. Teams will pass on Josh Rosen, as he falls all the way down to No. 12. And the Dolphins will be all Dolphins-like and say, "Sure, New England -- we will trade with you." The Patriots draft Rosen and he will torment Miami for more than a decade. And Rosen will be a jerk about it, too. Throwing for like 500 yards every time he plays them. Bill Belichick has enjoyed success drafting quarterbacks after Day 1, so why change now? There are too many non-quarterbacks with a ton of value that the Patriots can select in the first round. And with two picks late on Thursday night, I doubt any of the top quarterbacks will be available, leaving Belichick to do what he does best on Day 2 or 3 -- find that diamond in the rough. There's talk about the Patriots getting a QB early in the draft, but I'm not so sure. I'd say there's a 40 percent chance Bill Belichick drafts a quarterback on Day 1. I think he'll stick to what he's done in the past and take a quarterback on Day 2 or 3.

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