The Patriots made a lot of surprise picks during the 2022 NFL Draft. Selecting Cole Strange in the first round of the draft may have been the most eyebrow-raising pick, a player who many believed was a Day 2 draft pick, at minimum. But the selection of Bailey Zappe in Round 4 was a close second.
Few expected the Patriots to target a quarterback during the 2022 NFL Draft. They already had a quarterback room that looked full between Mac Jones, Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham.
But per usual, Bill Belichick bucked the consensus and picked Zappe.
Zappe was a top sleeper prospect at the quarterback position. The Western Kentucky product threw for an NCAA-record 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns in his lone season with the Hilltoppers after previously starring at Houston Baptist, an FCS school.
Zappe was lauded for his accuracy and ball placement, but his physical tools were lacking. He was just 6-0 and had average arm strength, so that made him a Day 3 prospect.
So, what about Zappe was so appealing to the Patriots? Here's why the team pursued Zappe despite spending a first-round pick on Jones in the previous draft.
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Why did the Patriots draft Bailey Zappe?
There were a few reasons that the Patriots drafted Zappe. None had much — if anything — to do with Mac Jones.
The Patriots' selection of Zappe was more about needing a long-term answer at the backup quarterback spot. New England has long employed Brian Hoyer as its backup (2009-11, 2017-18, 2020-present), but that won't last forever.
Hoyer is 37 and hasn't won a start since 2016. The Patriots have entrusted him often as their No. 2 quarterback, but haven't been afraid to cut him when in need of a roster spot. That's why Hoyer has had three separate stints with the Patriots, interspersed throughout stints with the Steelers, Cardinals, Browns, Texans, Bears, 49ers and Colts.
The Patriots seemed willing to trust Hoyer for a bit longer entering the season, as he was signed to a two-year extension on eve of free agency. That was built to keep Hoyer around as the backup to Jones through 2023.
Still, the Patriots needed to add youth at the quarterback spot. They had 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham at the position, but they seemed to have soured on him as the backup. That proved true, as he was traded to the Raiders during the offseason.
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As such, Zappe provided the team with the youth and upside needed at the position to effectively replace Hoyer, at a minimum. Hoyer would hold down the backup job until Zappe was ready. Then, the fourth-round pick would climb the depth chart and be the primary backup to Jones.
And on the off-chance that Zappe developed into a potential starter at quarterback, the Patriots would be able to do one of two things. They could either trade him to a quarterback-needy team for a solid haul or replace Jones with him if their former first-round pick proved to be ineffective.
It also helped Zappe's cause that he profiled as a good fit for the Patriots' offensive system. He doesn't have the strongest arm, but his accuracy, ball placement and ability to throw touch passes are all strengths. Those match Jones' strengths and make Zappe an ideal fit behind him.
The only question with Zappe at the time he was drafted was how long it would take him to develop into a top backup and spot starter. He played just one FBS season at a non-Power 5 conference in a quarterback-friendly spread offense. That is another reason that he was a good fit for the Patriots, as New England could take its time with him considering that Jones was entrenched as the starter.
Zappe only got into action so quickly because of two injuries. And while he impressed, he still has to develop as he continues to prove himself at the NFL level.
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Patriots' draft history at QB under Bill Belichick
The other element of the Zappe pick is that Belichick hasn't been afraid to select quarterbacks during his time with the Patriots. He has always taken a forward-looking approach to the position and has made sure that his team is stocked with quality backup candidates.
Belichick has had his misses at quarterback, but the point remains that he drafts passers often. That way the team can have a quality, developmental candidate behind his starting quarterback.
More often than not, that has been Tom Brady; but Belichick is evidently continuing that practice with Jones as his top option.
Below is a look at the quarterbacks Belichick has selected since coming to the Patriots in 2000.
| Year | Player | Round | Pick |
| 2000 | Tom Brady | 6 | 199 |
| 2002 | Rohan Davey | 4 | 117 |
| 2003 | Kliff Kingsbury | 6 | 201 |
| 2005 | Matt Cassel | 7 | 230 |
| 2008 | Kevin O'Connell | 3 | 94 |
| 2009 | Julian Edelman | 7 | 232 |
| 2010 | Zac Robinson | 7 | 250 |
| 2011 | Ryan Mallett | 3 | 74 |
| 2014 | Jimmy Garoppolo | 2 | 62 |
| 2016 | Jacoby Brissett | 3 | 91 |
| 2018 | Danny Etling | 7 | 219 |
| 2019 | Jarrett Stidham | 4 | 133 |
| 2021 | Mac Jones | 1 | 15 |
| 2022 | Bailey Zappe | 4 | 137 |
So, Belichick has selected a quarterback in 14 of his 23 drafts in charge of the Patriots. Granted, Edelman was quickly converted into a receiver, but even still, the Patriots' coach has never shied away from adding talent and potential at the position.
Even when the Patriots had both Brady and Garoppolo on their roster, Belichick took Jacoby Brissett in the 2016 NFL Draft. They didn't need Brissett, but Belichick thought it was the right move to continue to add to the quarterback room.
As such, the Zappe selection shouldn't be seen as a slight of Jones, especially given that Jones is the highest-selected quarterback of Belichick's time with the Patriots. The pick was more about Belichick's desire to hoard talent at the quarterback position (and to replace Stidham as the heir apparent to Hoyer).
