Tom Brady is 41, and when the 2019 season begins he’ll be 42 years of age. His longevity is incredible, but win or lose in Super Bowl LIII, the New England Patriots must plan for the future by drafting his replacement during the 2019 NFL Draft.
Why do it now?
- One could surmise that New England has skated by for far too long without addressing this issue.
- Brady’s ability to avoid big hits, and the way the team schemes the pass game with quick strikes, has allowed him to play at a high level despite his age.
- But every year the Patriots don’t truly address the future — one that doesn’t include Brady — the more likely it becomes that the dynasty crumbles as soon as he calls it quits.
Ideal situation: This year’s draft features some intriguing talent at the top.
- It’s not seen as necessarily a tremendously strong class for quarterbacks, but it seems likely that a quarterback worth molding into a franchise leader will be there when the Patriots pick at the end of Round 1.
- One of Daniel Jones, Kyler Murray, Will Grier or Drew Lock will likely still be on the board when New England picks, either No. 31 or No. 32 overall.
- All of these guys could use a year or two behind Brady to get ready for the NFL game and offer intriguing traits for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels — seen by many as the logical eventual replacement to Bill Belichick — to mold.