With Tom Brady in his 40s and no developmental backup option on the roster since the days Jimmy Garoppolo was traded away, the New England Patriots were expected to invest in a quarterback in the 2018 NFL draft. They did just that – but not in a player many had on the radar entering the draft: LSU's Danny Etling, who New England picked in the seventh round, was seen as better value than more “popular” players like Kyle Lauletta or Luke Falk.
This comes as the result of some thorough scouting on the Patriots' part, a process team director of player personnel Nick Caserio outlined during his final press conference of the draft.