Patriots NFL Draft: Pac-12 Star Could Be Late-Round Selection

The New England Patriots have 12 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. The whopping number of selections gives the team the resources to fill several gaps created during the offseason.

With the departure of Tom Brady and a recent release at the QB position, the Patriots seem destined to select a QB in the draft. Keep Colorado Buffaloes star Steven Montez on your radar as a potential selection.

Releasing Cody Kessler Opens Door For a Young QB

On Wednesday, the Patriots parted ways with veteran QB Cody Kessler. This move left the Patriots with only Jarrett Stidham and the recently re-acquired Brian Hoyer at QB. While the Patriots and other teams have gone into the NFL season with only two QBs on the roster in the past, that’s usually a practice that teams with a star at the position, and an experienced backup would adopt.

New England has just one of those two things at the moment, with Hoyer being the desired veteran backup presence. To say the jury is still out on Stidham would be an understatement.

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Steven Montez’s Age, College Stats and Scouting Reports

Montez, 23, checks all of the boxes from a physical standpoint. He’s 6’5″ 230 pounds and he ran the 40-yard dash at 4.68 at the NFL Combine. He has a big arm and he can make every throw NFL coaches will look for in any offense.

During his college career, Montez’s best season came in his junior year. He completed just over 64 percent of his passes, threw for 2,849 yards, 19 TDs, and 9 interceptions. He seemed to dip a bit as a senior, and that could be the reason most see him as a Day 3 selection.

Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said about Montez. Spoiler alert: some of this sounds like it’s exactly the opposite of what the Patriots usually look for in a QB.

Montez has good size with decent arm talent and mobility but has failed to take steps forward as a three-year starter. He’s slow to get through progressions and doesn’t filter through coverages well enough to craft sustainable passing plans. Teams may see him as a developmental prospect based upon physical traits, but his interceptions were mostly easy takeaways and that doesn’t figure to improve against faster talent on the backend.

All that said, the Patriots did attend Montez’s Pro Day, so there was at least enough interest for the team to do their due diligence in scouting him.

How and Where the Patriots Could Pick Montez

Montez could be seen as a developmental selection for the Patriots. He probably wouldn’t be the kind of rookie who could compete with Stidham for the starting job in Year 1. However, if the Patriots believe in his core skills and think he’s coachable with a high ceiling, he could be a valuable insurance policy in the event Stidham falters.

Because the team is still seemingly unsettled on their QB of the future, having Montez on the roster being coached up by Josh McDaniels and mentored by Hoyer will create a viable second option down the road, or trade bait, ala Jimmy Garoppolo in a few years.

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