The New England Patriots won't pick in the 2019 NFL Draft until No. 29 at the earliest. But that selection still could play a big role in the team's future.
Tom Brady turns 42 in August, after all, and the Patriots would be smart to consider a succession plan for the legendary quarterback.
That's what Mel Kiper believes New England will do. ESPN's resident draft expert published his first 2019 NFL Mock Draft of the year Thursday, and he has the Patriots taking Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 29.
Here's Kiper on how Jones could fit in Foxboro:
Tom Brady is going to be 42 when the 2019 season begins. Forty-two! It's unbelievable what he's continuing to do on the field, but the Patriots have to start thinking about the future ... right?
Jones could be the heir apparent. He has learned from quarterback guru David Cutcliffe at Duke, and you see it in his footwork. He excels in the pocket. Jones is athletic, too, and he has a big, 6-foot-4 frame.
There's no guarantee that Jones will be the third quarterback off the board, and you can see more of him at the Senior Bowl next week, but this fit makes a lot of sense.
Jones put up solid numbers for the Blue Devils in 2018, completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,674 yards with 22 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. He delivered in big moments, too, earning MVP honors in the 2017 Quick Lane Bowl and the 2018 Independence Bowl.
Cutcliffe, Jones' head coach at Duke, also coached both Peyton Manning (at Tennessee) and Eli Manning (at Ole Miss) in college. Considering Jones has an almost identical frame to the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Brady, we could see the Duke QB as a potential option for the Patriots.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
They'll have other QBs to choose from, however. Kiper projects Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins and Oklahoma's Kyler Murray to go off the board before No. 29, but West Virginia's Will Grier, Missouri's Drew Lock and N.C. State's Ryan Finley all should be available if New England wants to use a first-rounder on Tom Brady's heir apparent.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.