The New England Patriots are taking a closer look at quarterbacks available in the NFL Draft.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the Pats are meeting with Duke signal-caller Daniel Jones and West Virginia's Will Grier on Wednesday, per a source informed of the visits.
Sitting 15 days before the 2019 NFL Draft opens, Jones is widely considered to go in the first round on April 25. Rapoport notes that the Patriots might need to trade up in the draft if they want to snag Jones. New England has the draft capital to do so, owning 12 selections this season, including six in the top 100 picks.
Jones owns prototypical size at 6-foot-5, 221 pounds and is a precision passer with a good pedigree coming from David Cutcliffe's system at Duke. Ranking No. 34 overall, and the fourth QB, on NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 prospect rankings, Jones is a good touch passer who throws with anticipation and accuracy. While he might lack a huge arm, the 21-year-old owns athleticism to escape the pocket and can perform on designed runs.
Jones' size and ability as a precision passer who can spread the ball around meshes with the current iteration of the Patriots offense under Josh McDaniels.
Grier, meanwhile, brings leadership, an attacking mentality and deep-ball accuracy to the position, putting up big numbers in WVU's system. Already 24 years old entering the NFL, with questionable mechanics and average velocity on his ball, Grier is considered a mid-round prospect at this point.
With Tom Brady entering the season at 42 years old, and Brian Hoyer sitting as the backup, the Patriots want to replenish their QB room with young potential, after trading Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo in recent seasons.
If it's not Jones early, the Patriots seem destined to use one of their dozen picks on a young signal-caller to begin preparing for the eventual end of the Brady-era (even if that's not for another handful of years).