Jacoby Brissett Is New England Patriots' Most Important Rookie

The New England Patriots' draft class, heavy on backups and prospects with future potential, may not contribute much in 2016. 

That being said, their draft class could be thrust into a prominent role with just a couple of injuries here and there. For four weeks at the beginning of the season, rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett will be just one injury away from being the starting quarterback of the team that enters the season as OddsShark.com's favorite to win the Super Bowl.

But hey, no pressure. 

Even as Brissett sits three deep on the depth chart at his position, the spotlight is on him to an extent. That's because he's actually only two deep, in the sense that he will begin the season as the top backup if Tom Brady's four-game suspension is not lifted. In that respect, he couldn't have landed with a much better support system than the one he has in New England.

"You've got one of the greatest coaches of all time in Bill Belichick, and you've got Josh McDaniels, who's a very good coach, and you've got Tom Brady, who you can learn from in every aspect of your life," Brissett said after being drafted by the Patriots. "I'm just excited to be a sponge in the room and get around those guys and learn from them."

Brissett will have to be a sponge if he is going to be ready as the worst-case scenario behind Jimmy Garoppolo, but according to former Patriots head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Bill Parcells, Brissett has all the characteristics of some players who have embodied the Patriot Way. 

"He's a Curtis Martin-, Willie McGinest-, Troy Brown-type player," Parcells said of Brissett, per Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. "That's the kind of guy he is. That's what New England is getting. Those kinds, those Tedy Bruschi types, those players who've been successful—he's very similar in his personal life to those kinds of guys."

As important as Brissett could be as Garoppolo's backup in 2016, the Patriots rookie quarterback could prove to be important in an even bigger way through a long-term lens. Parcells listed three players; one thing all three had in common is that they all had a long career in the NFL. If Brissett enjoys a long career himself, he could be looking at the possibility of being the heir at quarterback after Brady.

Garoppolo's contract expires at the end of the 2017 season, meaning the Patriots have two years left to decide on his fate. That's a long time, and certainly the first four games of the 2016 regular season will play a huge role in their evaluation (assuming Garoppolo plays, and Brady's suspension stays).

In the grand scheme of quarterback development, though, two years is about what you would expect for a raw mid-round quarterback before getting his chance to start. It will have been two-plus years since Garoppolo's name was called, when he starts his first game at the beginning of '16. 

At present, the Patriots are handling it as they should.

There's still the possibility that Brady may get his suspension lifted or that it might be delayed as a result of the ongoing litigation. There's also the possibility that Brady isn't available, and Garoppolo either gets injured or underperforms.

And while it may seem like a stretch for Brissett to learn the ins and outs of the Patriots offense in time for the regular season, he wouldn't be the first rookie to ever leap a veteran on the depth chart.

Is it likely that Brissett will be the starter? No. Is it possible? Absolutely. It will be a long climb; he has to prove that he is superior in both his understanding of the offense and his ability to execute it.

At the moment, Brissett is the insurance against the worst-case scenario. In the long term, he could potentially be their starting quarterback depending on how things unfold. 

Unless otherwise noted, quotes obtained firsthand.