5 Quarterbacks the New England Patriots Could Draft to Replace Jimmy Garoppolo

#2 Nick Fitzgerald (Mississippi State)

A few months ago, Nick Fitzgerald was an afterthought when discussing the top quarterback prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft. Now, with many of the top signal-callers struggling, Fitzgerald is all of a sudden a hot name. If the junior does declare for the draft following this season, he’s someone the Patriots could target on day two to replace Jimmy Garoppolo.

Fitzgerald will receive plenty of comparisons to Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott due to his connection to head coach Dan Mullen and the fact that he plays at Mississippi State. However, he’s a more complete QB prospect at this point in his career than either of those two were; he’s just as athletic and possesses a much stronger arm. While his ball placement could use some work, there aren’t many college quarterbacks with a ceiling as high as Fitzgerald’s.

Fitzgerald is a perfect fit if the Patriots want to develop a new school, dual-threat QB. He’s closer to Jacoby Brissett in that regard than Garoppolo or Brady, but New England was able to win with all three under center last year. If Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels want to add a new dimension to the offense, Fitzgerald is the man for the job.