Belichick has to like Kyle Lauletta a bit - the guys dad and grandad played at Navy and he has dabbled in LaCrosse as well...sounds like a Belichick 'personal'
pick to me if hes around when/if they decide to draft a QB
The 6th, 7th or UFA QB not mentioned might be Belichick's draft end game Josh Allen
6th Round QB value?
The only thing predictable about Belichick is his unpredictability. The common thread in his unprecedented renewal of the Patriots dynasty since Tom Brady was discovered in the 6th round is his unrelenting pursuit of value wherever and whenever he elects to pick or trade.
The 6th round is Belichick’s lucky QB round. White, Lauletta, etc. in the 4th round? Sure. Developing the probably best NFL caliber arm still in the draft as the third QB? Highly inconsistent, frustrating on some throws though without a great offensive line or receiving lineup? Kurt Benkert might be your guy:
Kurt Benkert may go from prolific college passer to NFL practice squad
2018 NFL Draft: Key strengths and weaknesses for Kurt Benkert
If he washes out as a 6th or 7th rounder or UFA, he is probably worth the risk. I can see the Pats taking an arm like this in the 6th round and hope to coach him up until he gets to throw to better pro receivers with good line protection. He is less accomplished but the same kind of high risk and high reward QB as Josh Allen was in Round 1. Taking an arm like this in the 6th round where he is likely still available is a lot more worth the risk than taking Allen in Round 1. You can’t teach talent but you might be able to teach a QB like this to backup and maybe eventually replace the GOAT. Has Belichick ever taken another 6th round QB since Brady? If not, it might be time to groom an under the radar raw talent like this.
Quarterbacks with last names starting with B in the 6th round? Brady and Benkert? All of Benkert’s flaws don’t matter much in the 6th round. However, he is possibly the QB with the most pure talent left in the draft. He is purely a developmental pick but the Pats could do a lot worse with one of those already prospective and hyped 4th round QB’s. Benkert might be their late round developmental QB pick precisely because, if selected, everybody will go WTF? Hype almost never predicts what Belichick will do. The Pats are the exact place a guy like Benkert needs to go because he isn’t ready to play anywhere in the NFL now but, with proper development, a guy with an arm and intangibles like this has the potential to be the long lost (loch ness monster) heir apparent to TB12. Benkert waiting his turn won’t be a problem developing behind the GOAT.
Benkert can be both ridiculous and sublime. However, if his talent can be harnessed, the scout opinion that he might be the most underrated QB in this draft could be prophetic:
Recent news on Kurt Benkert - Virginia Cavaliers - Rotoworld.com
His lack of connection with the Pats makes me think that they hype involving just about every other draftable QB prospect this year might be a smokescreen. Belichick loves picking QB’s and all players in general that few if anybody is predicting.
A bad senior bowl sunk Benkert back below everyone’s draft radar but he has more raw talent than Lauletta and the other QB’s being debated and there is this:
Sat, Oct 28, 2017 04:30:00 PM
Kurt Benkert – QB – Cavaliers
In a poll of five NFL executives by NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, three tabbed Virginia redshirt senior QB Kurt Benkert as the most underrated quarterback in college football.
"He has good size, athletic ability and arm strength. He gets the ball out. He’s accurate on three levels," said one executive. Another noted that Benkert (6’4/230) "makes all the throws." Per Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline, the redshirt senior gunslinger is starting to draw "early- to mid-round grades." Benkert has thrown for 1,806 yards (62.3% completions) with a 15/4 TD/INT ratio in seven games as he’s helped the Cavaliers work out to a 5-2 record for the campaign.
So take that for what you will.
