The Patriots recently hosted Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson for a top-30 pre-draft visit, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted on Monday. Rapoport added that the Patriots were left “intrigued and impressed” after they “relatively quietly” hosted Jackson two weeks ago.
Jackson is widely projected as a prospect worthy of being drafted at the end of the first round or the early in the second. The Patriots currently hold picks No. 23, 31, 43, and 63 in the first two rounds of the draft, which runs Thursday-Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Patriots also sent director of player personnel Nick Caserio to watch Jackson at Louisville’s Pro Day in March. Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson cited Jackson’s relative familiarity with the Patriots’ offensive system and Bill Belichick’s connections to the Louisville program as reasons why the Pats’ interest in Jackson could be serious.
Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson works out at the 2018 NFL Combine. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)
Jackson’s visit came as part of the Patriots’ official pre-draft visits, during which teams are allotted 30 players to host privately at their home stadium in the weeks leading up to the draft.
The Pats also reportedly held private workouts with several other quarterback prospects, including Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph, Washington State’s Luke Falk, Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta, Florida International’s Alex McGough, and Princeton’s Chad Kanoff. They’ve been otherwise connected to QB prospects projected as high as the top of the first round.
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