2020 NFL Draft Rumors: Patriots 'Love' Justin Herbert After Tom Brady's Exit

The New England Patriots may already have a Tom Brady replacement in mind. 

Finding a way to acquire him could be an issue.

Peter King of NBC Sports spoke to a rival general manger who said the Patriots "love" Oregon's Justin Herbert but questioned their desire to trade up for him. Herbert is a borderline lock for the top 10 and could go as high as No. 5 to the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots have the No. 23 pick in Round 1 but lack a second-rounder after trading it to Atlanta for Mohamed Sanu last season, meaning New England would have to dig deep into its future picks to move up.

Herbert would be something of a departure from Brady; he is a projected high first-round pick with a great skill set but major questions about his leadership ability. Where Brady is outwardly among the most fiery quarterbacks in football, Herbert took criticism for his introverted nature.

While Brady settled into a preference for a checkdown-heavy system, Herbert has perhaps the strongest arm and downfield throwing ability in the draft. Future Hall of Famer Brady is almost stationary in the pocket, and Herbert moves with a fluidity and speed that makes him a borderline ideal modern quarterback. 

The Patriots finding a way to draft Herbert would also continue the Brady-Bill Belichick breakup narrative. Brady went out in free agency and found the antithesis of Belichick, a fun, players-first coach in Bruce Arians who believes strongly in a work-life balance. As far as coaching personalities—and offensive systems—it's hard to find more polar opposites than Belichick and Arians.

Herbert's fit in New England is questionable. The Patriots have been among the most adaptable teams in the NFL, regularly changing their scheme to fit personnel and being ahead of the curve on league-wide trends. It's likely Belichick would employ run-pass option sets that were impossible with Brady at the helm.

That said, the speculation is likely all for moot. The Patriots' best potential trade partner would be the Lions at No. 3, given their organization has several ties to New England. But moving up for Herbert would take a level of risk that Belichick has never shown, and he may want to take a long look at last year's fourth-rounder Jarrett Stidham in 2020 before going all in on a Brady replacement.