Report: Patriots Showing Interest In Josh Rosen, Other Quarterback Prospects
The Patriots are reportedly showing interest in Rosen and several other QBs ahead of the draft.
Mar 3, 2018, Indianapolis, IN, USA: UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen throws a pass during the 2018 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)
(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)The Patriots have shown interest, both publicly and privately, in a number of high-profile quarterback prospects ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft. You can add UCLA's Josh Rosen to the list.
As reported by NESN's Doug Kyed, the Patriots are showing interest in Rosen as they get ready for the draft. The first round kicks off next Thursday at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium.
Rosen is widely expected to be drafted early in the first round, and has often been compared to fellow highly regarded QB prospects like Sam Darnold out of USC and Josh Allen out of Wyoming. If the Patriots' interest in Rosen were serious, they'd likely be required to package picks and move up in the draft order to have a chance at selecting him.
The Patriots currently hold the 23rd, 31st, 43rd, and 63rd picks in the first two rounds of the draft. They also own a third-round pick (95th), two sixths (19th and 210th), and a seventh (219th).
Rosen is far from the first 2018 quarterback prospect to draw interest from New England. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweeted on Wednesday night that the Patriots have been quietly holding private workouts with quarterbacks, among them Richmond's Kyle Lauletta and Washington State's Luke Falk. Princeton's Chad Kanoff is also among those who held a private workout with them, according to the Boston Sports Journal's Christopher Price.
More: Patriots Most Interested Of Any Team In Lamar Jackson
The Patriots have also heavily scouted Louisville's Lamar Jackson and have reportedly shown interest in Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield. In addition, Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio attended a workout for Western Kentucky QB Mike White earlier this month, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph has also been linked to the Pats.
Unlike the draft's uncommonly deep group of first-round picks, QB prospects like Lauletta and Falk are more likely to be taken after the first round. The Patriots are covering all possible bases as far as the QB class in the 2018 draft, and have enough ammo to draft more than one if they so desired. The more reports that come out, the more likely it looks that they will pull at least one passer from the pool.
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