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The New England Patriots have been slammed for making a Bailey Zappe-style reach in the 2026 NFL draft.

Historically, a late-round quarterback and the New England Patriots proved a perfect Super Bowl match after the franchise lucked on to Tom Brady with the 199th pick in 2000. Yet, more than one observer of the 2026 NFL draft doesn’t believe seventh-round choice Behren Morton will follow the same path.

The Pats received mostly positive grades for what they did during this draft, but de facto general manager Eliot Wolf can’t escape criticism for a “highly questionable” reach in the final round that merits worrying comparisons to Bailey Zappe.

That’s the view of Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. He believes that “Unlike some of their other late-round picks, (Behren) Morton has unimpressive physical traits he balanced in college with plus intangibles.”

Callahan continued, “Morton is tough, experienced and regarded as a good leader. But his arm strength and ball placement don’t wow, and his injury history gives reason for concern at the next level, especially given he’s almost eager to take punishment. Morton, at 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, fits the classic mold of being a better college passer than pro prospect, much like former Patriots fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe.”

Comparisons to Zappe don’t flatter the Patriots. Nor does Callahan’s assessment former Texas Tech star Morton will struggle to make the roster, despite his best intentions to support franchise QB1 Drake Maye.

Calling the 234th pick a reach is a bit of a stretch, but another draft analyst blasted the Patriots for selecting the wrong quarterback.

Behren Morton Tagged With Bailey Zappe Comp

There’s an irony to Zappe’s name being used to deride Morton’s selection. Ex-Western Kentucky passer Zappe looked over-drafted as the 137th pick back in 2022.

He lasted two seasons in New England, posting a 4-10 record and throwing 12 interceptions to only 11 touchdowns, per StatMuse. Brief and uninspiring stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns followed.

Now Zappe is a member of the Patriots’ AFC East rivals the New York Jets. The same Jets who rolled out the red carpet for Morton during the pre-draft process.

The Pats managed to put another one over on their long-suffering division rivals by snagging Morton. He may not be an elite athlete, but the 22-year-old is rated by Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar as “a nimble mover in the pocket and has the ability to change arm angles to deliver with adequate timing and ball speed between the numbers.”

Move skills like those referenced here give Morton a chance to make a depth chart lacking a proven backup after the surprise release of veteran Joshua Dobbs. Maye’s own mobility changed the way the Patriots used the quarterback position after years of Brady’s static and studied precision from the pocket.

He won’t offer the same physical dynamism as Maye, nor the efficiency of Brady, but Lazar also sees “shades of Zappe” in Morton’s skill-set. Even so, there was at least one other draft-eligible passer Wolf and Co. ought to have considered.

Patriots Slammed for Drafting the Wrong Quarterback

Callahan’s surprise at Morton’s draft status was shared by ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He believes Morton and Athan Kaliakmanis, who went to the Washington Commanders as a late-round version of the draft’s top pick, “coming off the board before Nussmeier or Luke Altmyer, who would have been better options at those draft slots, was highly questionable.”

The mention of Altmyer is significant because he was viewed as an outstanding fit for coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense. McDaniels didn’t get Altmyer, but the play-caller has a long history of adapting his schemes to different signal-callers, the way he did for Brady, Cam Newton, Mac Jones and Maye.

Making it work with former undrafted New York Giants cult hero Tommy DeVito as his only viable QB2 would be a challenge for McDaniels. So Morton proving his critics wrong will make McDaniels’ job easier.