New England Patriots: Jarrett Stidham on the path to success?

New England Patriots rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham is turning heads at training camp.

I loved the New England Patriots taking a flyer on Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Patriots want to continue to build around Tom Brady in the early rounds of the draft, but somebody is going to have to take over for the 42-year-old quarterback eventually. Why not take a shot at some upside in the middle rounds?

According to Andrew Callahan of MassLive.com, has been turning some heads in training camp. In fact, he was nearly flawless in the Patriots’ joint practice with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday.

“Stidham went 8-for-8 to cap a day where Tom Brady struggled in live team drills. Through 10 practices, Stidham’s completion percentage in those periods is 10 points higher than Brady’s: 68 percent to 58,” Callahan wrote. “Thursday’s preseason opener will mark two weeks since the Patriots first hit the field, and perhaps no one has shown more growth than Stidham.”

There may not be a more interesting Patriots player to watch in these early preseason games. Stidham is certainly a bit of a project, but he has the raw talent to be a successful NFL quarterback. If he continues to show growth through the rest of camp and the preseason, there will be reason to believe in Stidham as the eventual successor to Brady.

Stidham was inconsistent in college. He looked like a top-tier quarterback prospect in the making during the 2017 season but really took a step back at Auburn last year. That being said, he is a talented player who has great mobility at the position and more than enough arm to make plays at the next level.

Reporters are not the only ones who have noticed Stidham standing out at practices. His teammates have also been impressed by the young quarterback.

“He’s getting more comfortable. He has a live arm, can make any throw. I like Jarrett,” wide receiver  Phillip Dorsett said, according to Callahan. “It’s the National Football League, and he’s young. Coming in here is tough. A lot of stuff gets thrown at you really fast and changes on the move, so you have to be able to adjust. He’s doing all right.”

“It’s all your work habits, your study habits, how much you can take at one time. And he seems real cool and collected,” Dorsett continued. “He takes the criticism well, doesn’t get down on himself and just goes out here and plays football.”

When it comes down to it, we all know that Stidham is not going to see the field in any “real” NFL games anytime soon. Even if Brady were to miss time with an injury, veteran Brian Hoyer would undoubtedly be the next quarterback to get a chance.

That being said, Stidham is probably the closest thing that we have seen to a possible Brady replacement on the Patriots’ roster since Jimmy Garoppolo. The odds are stacked against him, but Stidham is on the right track. It’s obviously extremely early, but the New England Patriots may have found a diamond in the rough in their fourth-round quarterback.