Bill Belichick Talks 'Interesting' 2020 NFL Draft QB Class After Tom Brady Exit

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is shifting into the next chapter of his career now that Tom Brady is no longer under center, and he opened up about the 2020 draft class as his team looks for its next franchise quarterback.

Belichick called the rookie signal-callers entering the league "an interesting group" and acknowledged it is "probably one that has some decent depth to it," per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

Even if the Patriots, who have the No. 23 overall pick of the draft, don't select a quarterback in the first round, they likely need another one for depth purposes.

Veteran Brian Hoyer and 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham are the only ones on the current roster, and Belichick did not commit to either as the starter moving forward during Monday's conference call:

"We've spent quite a bit of time with Brian and Stid. The circumstances will be different this year, and we'll see how everything plays out. To start with, I think the main thing is to give everyone a chance to compete, to get people comfortable with the skills at the position they're playing, the communication that's involved. We'll evaluate the players as we get an opportunity to evaluate them."

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller released an updated big board ranking on Monday of who he sees as the top players available in the April 23-25 draft, and there were five quarterbacks in the top 50.

While New England would surely have to trade up in the draft to take someone like LSU's Joe Burrow, Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon's Justin Herbert, players such as Utah State's Jordan Love and Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts could be available late in the first round or in the second round. Belichick was able to draft a future NFL starter in Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014 with the 62nd overall selection.

Players such as Georgia's Jake Fromm and Washington's Jacob Eason are also potential second-day picks for the 11-time reigning AFC East champions.

Whether the Patriots go with a rookie or hand the offense over to Stidham or Hoyer, the 2020 season will take on quite a different feel with Brady no longer leading the way. 

Belichick directed New England to an 11-5 record in 2008 with Matt Cassel as the signal-caller after Brady suffered an injury in Week 1, and it may take a similar coaching performance to keep the team in the playoff race this year.