At No. 219 overall, the New England Patriots made LSU's Danny Etling the 11th quarterback taken in the 2018 NFL draft. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Seventh-round quarterbacks are not drafted to replace four-time Super Bowl MVPs. Most aren’t drafted to replace primary backups. Most aren’t on Week 1 active rosters.
The New England Patriots took LSU’s Danny Etling on Saturday afternoon with that understanding.
At No. 219 overall, Etling became the 11th of 13 quarterbacks selected in the 2018 NFL draft. The graduate transfer from Purdue had seen Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson, Mason Rudolph, Kyle Lauletta, Mike White, Luke Falk and Tanner Lee all find their landing spots by then. The Patriots had seen the same.
And, originally entering the weekend with five picks over the first three rounds and two in the first round, head coach Bill Belichick’s war room could’ve made one of whom theirs.
Just not simply for the sake of drafting one, or because the team’s last two draft picks there – Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo – were traded to the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers last season.
“We knew we were going to add a quarterback to our team at some point, so it’s relative to what other options we might have, relative to other positions,” New England director of player personnel Nick Caserio said during his post-draft press conference. “There’s no template like, ‘Well we’re going to take one here, we’re going to take one there.’ You just evaluate the player – and, look, we think Danny has some decent traits and some decent qualities to work with, so we’ll put him in our program and see how he does.”
New England had done a thorough vetting of all options under center. They’d met with, worked out or hosted eventual first-rounders up through fourth-rounders and beyond. And yet, the organization went offensive line with Isaiah Wynn, running back with Sony Michel and cornerback with Duke Dawson early instead at Nos. 23, 31 and 56 overall.
Then the Patriots traded all the way back to the fifth round before filling out another card.
Two linebackers and a wideout were next on the list. One for Etling, who visited Gillette Stadium during the process, eventually followed.
“When I got the call and saw my name on the screen it was very exciting,” Etling told reporters on his introductory conference call. “I just couldn't believe it was a dream come true – and going to such a great organization and great coaches and a place where I really think I can develop into the player that I want to be someday.”
Etling rushed for four touchdowns, and passed for 16, during his two-year stay at Purdue before transferring to LSU. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
Etling started the final seven games of his freshman season with the Boilermakers in 2013, as well as the first five games of his sophomore season before being eclipsed on the depth chart and granted his scholarship release. The 6-foot-3, 222-pound native of Terre Haute, Ind., moved on to Baton Rouge in 2015 and sat out due to NCAA transfer rules before starting 23 games over his final two years of eligibility.
Etling threw for 7,076 yards, 43 touchdowns with 19 interceptions across his five-year college career. He rushed for seven TDs. And after posting a 7-3 record as LSU’s starter under former NFL head coach and then-Tigers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron in 2016, Etling went 165-of-275 passing for 2,463 yards and 16 touchdowns with only two interceptions in 2017.
“The one thing he didn’t do – he didn’t turn the ball over,” Caserio added of Etling, whom he said caught the Patriots’ eye during last spring’s scouting roundup. “You look at his career production and this guy didn’t turn the ball over. I think it was 16-2 this year – a low percentage. He takes care of the ball, smart, pretty accurate thrower. There’s some good qualities and traits that we think we can work with and develop.”
Etling’s 9.8 adjusted yards per attempt ranked fourth among draft-eligible passers in the Division-I Football Bowl Subdivision. No passer picked between Thursday and Saturday tossed fewer picks than he did last fall, either.
">At No. 219 overall, the New England Patriots made LSU's Danny Etling the 11th quarterback taken in the 2018 NFL draft. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Seventh-round quarterbacks are not drafted to replace four-time Super Bowl MVPs. Most aren’t drafted to replace primary backups. Most aren’t on Week 1 active rosters.
The New England Patriots took LSU’s Danny Etling on Saturday afternoon with that understanding.
At No. 219 overall, Etling became the 11th of 13 quarterbacks selected in the 2018 NFL draft. The graduate transfer from Purdue had seen Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson, Mason Rudolph, Kyle Lauletta, Mike White, Luke Falk and Tanner Lee all find their landing spots by then. The Patriots had seen the same.
And, originally entering the weekend with five picks over the first three rounds and two in the first round, head coach Bill Belichick’s war room could’ve made one of whom theirs.
Just not simply for the sake of drafting one, or because the team’s last two draft picks there – Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo – were traded to the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers last season.
“We knew we were going to add a quarterback to our team at some point, so it’s relative to what other options we might have, relative to other positions,” New England director of player personnel Nick Caserio said during his post-draft press conference. “There’s no template like, ‘Well we’re going to take one here, we’re going to take one there.’ You just evaluate the player – and, look, we think Danny has some decent traits and some decent qualities to work with, so we’ll put him in our program and see how he does.”
New England had done a thorough vetting of all options under center. They’d met with, worked out or hosted eventual first-rounders up through fourth-rounders and beyond. And yet, the organization went offensive line with Isaiah Wynn, running back with Sony Michel and cornerback with Duke Dawson early instead at Nos. 23, 31 and 56 overall.
Then the Patriots traded all the way back to the fifth round before filling out another card.
Two linebackers and a wideout were next on the list. One for Etling, who visited Gillette Stadium during the process, eventually followed.
“When I got the call and saw my name on the screen it was very exciting,” Etling told reporters on his introductory conference call. “I just couldn't believe it was a dream come true – and going to such a great organization and great coaches and a place where I really think I can develop into the player that I want to be someday.”
Etling rushed for four touchdowns, and passed for 16, during his two-year stay at Purdue before transferring to LSU. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
Etling started the final seven games of his freshman season with the Boilermakers in 2013, as well as the first five games of his sophomore season before being eclipsed on the depth chart and granted his scholarship release. The 6-foot-3, 222-pound native of Terre Haute, Ind., moved on to Baton Rouge in 2015 and sat out due to NCAA transfer rules before starting 23 games over his final two years of eligibility.
Etling threw for 7,076 yards, 43 touchdowns with 19 interceptions across his five-year college career. He rushed for seven TDs. And after posting a 7-3 record as LSU’s starter under former NFL head coach and then-Tigers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron in 2016, Etling went 165-of-275 passing for 2,463 yards and 16 touchdowns with only two interceptions in 2017.
“The one thing he didn’t do – he didn’t turn the ball over,” Caserio added of Etling, whom he said caught the Patriots’ eye during last spring’s scouting roundup. “You look at his career production and this guy didn’t turn the ball over. I think it was 16-2 this year – a low percentage. He takes care of the ball, smart, pretty accurate thrower. There’s some good qualities and traits that we think we can work with and develop.”
Etling’s 9.8 adjusted yards per attempt ranked fourth among draft-eligible passers in the Division-I Football Bowl Subdivision. No passer picked between Thursday and Saturday tossed fewer picks than he did last fall, either.
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