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Tom Brady’s heir? Kyle Lauletta could be the Patriots’ next QB

By Sayre Bedinger

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - SEPTEMBER 03: Kyle Lauletta #5 of the Richmond Spiders passes the ball during a game at Scott Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Richmond beat Virginia 37-20. (Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - SEPTEMBER 03: Kyle Lauletta #5 of the Richmond Spiders passes the ball during a game at Scott Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Richmond beat Virginia 37-20. (Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images) /
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Who will be the heir to the great Tom Brady? One interesting name from the 2018 Senior Bowl is Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta, who has caught the Patriots’ eye…

Who will be the heir to the great Tom Brady for the New England Patriots?

It doesn’t seem like New England is panicking about the answer to that question.

The Patriots traded Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett in less than six months, and both players look like they could be longtime starting quarterbacks in the NFL (specifically and especially Garoppolo).

With New England expected to lose offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels this year, an uncertain future is going to come quickly for the Patriots. That future could very potentially include Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta, a very intelligent and poised but somewhat unknown quarterback competing at the 2018 Senior Bowl.

A Senior for the Richmond Spiders, Lauletta first came onto the scene with the NFL Draft community in 2016 when a fellow former Spiders quarterback — ESPN Draft Anayst Todd McShay — mentioned Lauletta in one of his notebooks.

Now, Lauletta is at arguably the biggest pre-draft event of the year, getting a chance to compete against and amongst some of the beset players in the country.

I don’t think he’s had the chance to throw to anyone quite as good as James Washington…

Lauletta comes across as a very refined prospect in terms of his maturity as a player, and his experience at Richmond obviously won’t prevent the Patriots from seeing the best in him, as Eastern Illinois isn’t exactly an NFL pipeline for talent.

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So far in Senior Bowl practices, Lauletta has shown some signs of being raw yet as a player, adjusting to a vastly different speed, but he made some strides on day two and looked more confident in his progressions and anticipation throws.

Listening to Lauletta speak after practice, it’s easy to see why the Patriots spent a good 45 minutes with him in a private meeting prior to practices on Wednesday morning. This is a guy with great potential, and the timing could be perfect with where Tom Brady is currently at in his career.

I think Lauletta has shown he’s got the arm talent to make it in the NFL, as well as the ability to process new things quickly. We’ve seen some nice improvements from him in the three days we’ve been at the Senior Bowl, and with the Patriots often going the unconventional route when it comes to quarterbacks, this guy could be a top option for them.

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