Colin Cowherd Tweets Photo of Trevor Lawrence in Patriots Jersey After NFL Draft

After the New England Patriots didn't select a quarterback in the 2020 NFL draft, Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd questioned whether the franchise is playing three-dimensional chess.

Cowherd posited New England could be looking to land Clemson star Trevor Lawrence next year, assuming the talented passer forgoes his senior season:

As he helped guide the Tigers to a national championship as a true freshman, Lawrence was identified as the crown jewel of the 2021 draft class.

As a result, finishing with the NFL's worst record is probably the Patriots' only path to getting him. It's hard to imagine a team trading out of the opportunity to select Lawrence—and clearing the way for a move to New England, no less.

Speaking with reporters after the draft, head coach Bill Belichick said the Patriots didn't enter the event with the intent of avoiding a quarterback but that that's how things played out:

"If we feel like we find the right situation, we'll certainly draft them. We've drafted them in multiple years, multiple points in the draft. Didn't work out last three days. That wasn't by design. It could have, but it didn't. Again, there are multiple ways to build your team. We'll see whether or not we get word of another that comes up at a different point in time. I don't know."

Barring a sudden change, one of Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer will open 2020 as New England's starting quarterback.

While few fans will be surprised if another quarterback enters the mix in 2021, Stidham appears to at least have the chance to prove himself as the long-term solution in his second season under center.