{"id":52299,"date":"2020-04-30T19:08:58","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T00:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=52299"},"modified":"2021-08-29T06:28:47","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T06:28:47","slug":"lazar-patriots-got-draftable-talents-in-undrafted-quarterbacks-jmar-smith-and-brian-lewerke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=52299","title":{"rendered":"Lazar: Patriots Got Draftable Talents in Undrafted Quarterbacks J’Mar Smith and Brian Lewerke"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Patriots made ten selections in the draft following Rob Gronkowski\u2019s brief retirement yet did not draft a tight end, opting to add multiple undrafted free agents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One year later, the Pats double-dipped in the third-round at tight end, but it was another critical position on the roster that saw a legend move on, and Bill Belichick ignore it in the draft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Less than two months after Tom Brady\u2019s decision to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Patriots didn’t select a quarterback despite 13 of them coming off the board at various points in the draft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat wasn’t by design,\u201d Bill Belichick said of the decision not to select a quarterback. \u201cIf 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 the last three days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Belichick\u2019s explanation makes sense when you look at the landscape of the quarterback market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Five quarterbacks came off the board in the first 53 picks, but New England wasn\u2019t prepared to go that early on a QB despite the opportunity to draft Jalen Hurts and Utah State\u2019s Jordan Love.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots had interest in Washington’s Jacob Eason and Florida International quarterback James Morgan. But the team was focused on the defensive side of the ball and tight end before they were willing to select a quarterback. Plus, they didn\u2019t have a fourth-rounder following a trade up for tight end Dalton Keene, where Eason and Morgan came off the board, and didn’t feel either were worth another trade up on day three.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belichick also agreed with the premise that punting on this year’s quarterback class in the draft was a testament to how the team felt about current quarterbacks, Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer.<\/p>\n

“I like both those players,” he said. “We’ve had Brian a couple times. I think he certainly gives us a very solid level of play. We have a lot of confidence in him. And Jarrett had a good year last year. He improved a lot. We’ll see where that takes him. I have confidence in both players.”<\/p>\n

Just like the offseason of Gronk\u2019s retirement, the Pats went the undrafted free agent route following Brady’s departure, adding Louisiana Tech\u2019s J\u2019Mar Smith and Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both had draftable grades on some teams\u2019 boards, and the Patriots had discussions about selecting Smith in the seventh round but didn\u2019t want to lose out on Memphis center Dustin Woodard, and correctly assumed Smith would go undrafted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots technically didn\u2019t draft a quarterback, but that narrative is a bit disingenuous when you consider who they came away with in undrafted free agency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Below, we\u2019ll take a deep-dive into Smith and Lewerke\u2019s film as they\u2019ll battle it out for QB3 in Foxboro:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

J\u2019MAR SMITH, LOUISIANA TECH<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Smith slipped through the cracks in this year\u2019s draft after a successful three-year run as the starter for the Bulldogs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Louisiana Tech went 25-12 with Smith at the helm, winning three consecutive Bowl Games, including a 14-0 victory over the University of Miami in the Independence Bowl this past season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Smith finished his collegiate career with a 51-21 touchdown to interception ratio and was Conference USA\u2019s Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, but is relatively unknown as a draft prospect. There are no scouting reports of Smith on NFL.com or The Draft Network, but his film and resume are both impressive, offering plenty of upside.<\/span><\/p>\n

The league never sleeps on prospects, there\u2019s always an explanation as to why a talented player goes undrafted, and in Smith\u2019s case, it might be a two-game suspension last season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a fifth-year senior and team captain, Smith was suspended for unknown reasons by the school but did return in time for Louisiana Tech\u2019s bowl game. Still, a suspension is not something NFL teams want to see at the quarterback position, especially from an experienced starter that was a team leader.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, as a Conference USA product, Smith already had to overcome the small-school label, and at 6-1, 218 pounds, he\u2019s smaller in stature for an NFL quarterback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But Smith\u2019s polish maneuvering the pocket and throwing with anticipation outside the numbers took me by surprise, and he has playmaker qualities both inside and outside the pocket.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Smith has a great feel for eluding pressure and makes explosive moves in tight spaces to find voids of space while keeping his eyes downfield to reset and throw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n