FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +5000
Now it should be stressed that the New England Patriots are extreme outsiders to select Haskins, as evidenced by their odds above. But outside-of-the-box thinking and a desire to zig when everyone expects them to zag has been a hallmark of the Patriots under Bill Belichick. That's why it makes some sense to at least mention them as a possibility.
While Tom Brady is incredible, we must be realistic. He is not a cyborg, and he is not going to play forever. Brady will be 42 years old when the 2019 season starts. Only six players in NFL history aged 42 or older have thrown at least one touchdown pass, per Pro Football Reference. Brady is also out of contract at the end of the 2019 season.
The all-time great did show some signs of decline in 2018. His 29 touchdown passes, still a formidable figure, were his lowest in a full 16-game season since 2013. His 272 passing yards per game were the lowest since 2014, and that was the last season in which he had a lower adjusted net yards per attempt than his 7.26 clip from last season. His per-play efficiency also dropped, though it still remained at a high level. His Passing NEP per drop back was 0.23, the second season in a row that this figure has dropped.
Brady was still a great quarterback in 2018, but the Patriots have already shown signs of forward planning in their first-round selection of Sony Michel last year. Famously unsentimental for much of his time with the team, Belichick will have to start planning for the time beyond Brady at some point. Will they trade up to go for someone as high as Haskins is expected to go? Probably not. But maybe Haskins falls a bit and the Pats pounce? It's the NFL Draft. You never know.