Locks: Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye

Bubble: Bailey Zappe, Joe Milton

In the Mix: None

The Patriots will have two quarterback competitions going on simultaneously during training camp this summer.

First, rookie quarterback Drake Maye made steady progress throughout the spring, suggesting he could begin pushing veteran Jacoby Brissett for the starting role as early as Week 1. Maye's physical skill set passed the initial eye test, with the arm talent, size, and athleticism of a modern quarterback, which is what made him an intriguing option at No. 3 overall.

There were moments when Maye was the best quarterback on the field during minicamp and OTA sessions. He made his fair share of in-rhythm throws, displaying improving footwork and timing within structure, while his deep ball accuracy was as advertised based on his college film. Remember, Maye led the FBS in big-time throws in his last two seasons at North Carolina, and we certainly saw why in the spring.

The next step for Maye is to continue building on the good habits he developed in the spring. Although the spring is a great first step, fully padded practices, including a joint practice with the Eagles and preseason games, will be the true test. To this point, as he told reporters at minicamp, Maye has yet to be hit. Once that pass rush is live in-game, we'll see if Maye's footwork and mechanics stay connected.

It was encouraging to see Maye's downfield accuracy remain consistent in the spring. Like any quarterback, the rookie had errant throws, but he wasn't spraying the ball all over the practice field as some thought he might. If that continues, it'll be tough for head coach Jerod Mayo to keep the quarterback with the highest ceiling on the bench.

The other angle from a starting quarterback perspective is that the Patriots signed a bridge in veteran Jacoby Brissett. The idea was to have the option to ease Maye, or whoever the Pats drafted, into things rather than throwing them into the fire on a rebuilding team. There's an argument to be made that Brissett should start initially, buying time for the pieces around the quarterback to solidify themselves before Maye takes over.

For example, the Patriots may need to tinker with their starting offensive line until they find their best combination. Currently, they're asking a career right tackle to flip sides (Chuks Okorafor), while they may have a rookie, either third-rounder Caedan Wallace or fourth-round guard Layden Robinson, in the starting lineup. Plus, the team was flirting in the spring with sliding standout lineman Mike Onwenu back inside to create a spot for Wallace.

Even if Maye is ready, New England's top brass could decide it's best to keep his long-term development in perspective with an unsettled offensive line. A good way to ruin a young quarterback is putting him behind a shaky offensive line, causing his internal clock to get sped up and risk injury while he's still trying to grasp the NFL game.

Although it's not as exciting as beginning the Maye era, Brissett had a solid 11 starts in offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt's system during the 2022 season in Cleveland. Brissett ranked eighth in total QBR (62.0), and the Browns averaged 23.9 points per game (11th in the NFL). If you extrapolate his 11 starts over 17 games, Brissett's full-season numbers would've been 4,031 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions — very respectable.

Suppose the Patriots come out of camp feeling good about Maye and his supporting cast, then there's no reason to sit the rookie. However, there's also no reason to rush Maye, as the next five years with him under center are far more important than September 2024.

The other camp competition is for the Patriots third quarterback spot between fourth-year QB Bailey Zappe and sixth-round pick Joe Milton. Both quarterbacks will need to earn roster spots, as there is no guarantee that New England will carry three QBs on the initial roster, especially with restrictions easing for practice squad eligibility and the emergency quarterback rule. It's worth noting that the emergency quarterback on game day can now come from the practice squad.

During the spring, the Patriots limited Milton's reps in open practices to 21 competitive pass attempts in team drills, half as many as Zappe. Part of you wonders if that was designed to slow down the media hype around Milton, with the sixth-rounder potentially getting more reps behind closed doors, but that's just a theory.

At this point, Milton has flashed insane arm strength. However, it's too soon to determine his NFL future since we'd be basing it on four or five spring practice reps per day. To earn a roster spot, Milton will need to tear it up at some point, either in camp or preseason games.

As for Zappe, the 2022 fourth-rounder has felt like the odd man out all along. Maye jumped him on the depth chart, with Zappe beginning the spring as the No. 2 behind Brissett. Furthermore, Zappe doesn't have the high-end physical traits that make Maye and even Milton's ceiling much higher. Therefore, the only conceivable path to the 53-man roster for Zappe is to serve as a second bridge to Maye if the Patriots opt to slow-roll their first-round pick.

Let's say New England decides they don't want Maye starting under any circumstances until the halfway point of the season. Then, Brissett goes down with an injury in the first month. Do you throw out the plan for Maye or keep Zappe around to have that second layer of depth?

From this perspective, that very specific scenario could influence the Patriots roster construction, but it's unlikely to be the primary reason they'd keep Zappe. In other words, Zappe would have to earn a roster spot with his play on the field rather than as an insurance policy.

As things currently stand, two quarterbacks on the Patriots are guaranteed roster spots: Brissett and Maye. For the other two QBs, there are several different avenues the team could take. My money is on Milton making the roster as QB3, with Zappe cut or traded. Still, the Patriots will have an open competition for the starting job (Brissett vs. Maye) and the third quarterback role (Milton vs. Zappe) this summer.

The future could be here earlier than many anticipated, with the door opening for Maye to win the job as the Patriots opening-day starter.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer