Much has been made about the New England Patriots potentially trading up for one of the top five quarterback prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft, but we shouldn't rule out the possibility of head coach Bill Belichick addressing this position on Day 2.
The five quarterbacks expected to be drafted in the first round are Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, BYU's Zach Wilson, Ohio State's Justin Fields, Alabama's Mac Jones and North Dakota State's Trey Lance. It's possible one of these players slides toward the end of the top 10 or even closer to No. 15 -- where the Patriots are currently slotted in the first round.
In the event that all of these five QBs are off the board when New England is on the clock, taking a wide receiver (Alabama's Jaylen Waddle) or defensive player (Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons) probably makes the most sense at No. 15.
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Day 2 could still provide the Patriots with some intriguing options at quarterback, and one of those players is Florida's Kyle Trask.
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In fact, the Patriots are the co-favorites to select Trask in the latest 2021 NFL Draft betting lines -- odds provided by our partner, PointsBet Sportsbook.
| Team | Odds |
| New England Patriots | +500 |
| Chicago Bears | +500 |
| Houston Texans | +750 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +750 |
| Denver Broncos | +950 |
| Washington Football Team | +1000 |
| New Orleans Saints | +1000 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +1200 |
| Detroit Lions | +1500 |
| New York Giants | +1500 |
These odds aren't too surprising. The teams at the top of the list all have question marks at the QB position.
The Patriots don't have a long-term answer, unless Jarrett Stidham surprises and has a breakout 2021 campaign. The Bears have labeled Andy Dalton as "QB1", which speaks for itself. The Texans could need a quarterback depending on how Deshaun Watson's situation unfolds. The Steelers don't have a strong replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. The Broncos could draft a QB to give Drew Lock a bit of healthy competition.
Trask completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 4,283 yards with 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 12 games for the University of Florida last season. The Gators finished with a 8-4 record after losing to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
Our own Patriots insider Phil Perry projected Trask to New England in his latest 2021 mock draft published Tuesday. What is one possible reason for Trask not being taken higher? Accuracy.
"The issue is Trask isn't among the best in the class when it comes to putting the football where he wants," Perry writes. "His accuracy numbers within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage are among the worst in the class, according to Derrik Klassen of NBC Sports Edge and Football Outsiders. Pro Football Focus ranked his accuracy (67.4 percent accurate) within 10 yards at 50th in the country. But scouts believe he moves well within the pocket, even if he's not a threat to break outside, and he made a real leap from 2019 to 2020 behind what was just an average offensive line."
Trask has enough talent and potential for the Patriots to spend a second-round pick on him. The real question might be whether he's available when New England is on the clock at No. 46 overall in Round 2.