Patriots Draft Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham to Groom as Tom Brady's Successor

With Tom Brady set to enter next season at 42 years old, the New England Patriots grabbed the future Hall of Famer's potential successor by selecting former Auburn Tigers quarterback Jarrett Stidham with the 133rd overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

It came at the 31st pick of the fourth round Saturday.

New England had been without an heir apparent since trading backups Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett in 2017. Journeyman Brian Hoyer, 33, served as Brady's primary backup last season, though 2018 seventh-round pick Danny Etling is also under contract.

Stidham started his Division I career at Baylor but transferred to Auburn in 2016. He took over under center as a sophomore and guided the Tigers to an 18-9 record in his two seasons as a starter. 

He completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,794 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in 13 games for Auburn in 2018. 

Jarrett Stidham NFL Draft 2019: Scoting Report, Grade for Patriots Rookie

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There's a lot to like about the 6'2", 218-pound passer's game:

Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller had Stidham as the fifth-best quarterback prospect in this year's class.

Of course, Brady has yet to show much, if any, sign of decline as he ages. He has led the Patriots to four Super Bowl appearances in five years, winning three Lombardi Trophies in the process. Meanwhile, the former sixth-round pick won his third career NFL MVP award in 2017.

Brady has made it known as recently as last September that he wants to play until he's 45. That would keep him on the field for at least three more years. As a result, there were mixed thoughts on what this pick means for the future of the franchise:

Depending on how long Brady continues to play, Stidham may or may not be the next in line in New England. For the time being, though, the 22-year-old will have the opportunity to learn from arguably the greatest quarterback and coach of all time.