Patriots Have Reportedly Shown Pre-Draft Interest In Miami Quarterback D'Eriq King
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots appear to have a franchise quarterback in Mac Jones, but New England is leaving no stone unturned with its pre-draft homework. That includes a look at Miami quarterback D'Eriq King, who may do more than throw passes in the NFL.
The Patriots are one of several teams reportedly interested in King, with Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network reporting that New England assistant Joe Judge has already held a private workout with the quarterback. It's interesting considering Judge is expected to work with New England's quarterbacks now that he is back on Bill Belichick's coaching staff.
Other teams connected to King included the Texans, Ravens, Broncos, Bills, Cowboys and Seahawks, according to Wilson, who adds that King's arm isn't the only aspect of his game that has teams interested this draft season.
"Most NFL teams are working out King as a quarterback while also intrigued by his versatility as a slot receiver and as a red-zone threat," Wilson wrote over the weekend.
If there is any quarterback prospect that could potentially convert to a slot receiver, you better believe the Patriots would be interested. Perhaps King could follow the path of Julian Edelman, who as you likely heard a couple thousand times during his NFL career, converted from being a quarterback at Kent State to a receiver in New England.
King, 24, spent four seasons at Houston before he ended up in Miami in 2020. He played two seasons with the Hurricanes, and threw for 2,686 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 538 yards in 2020. He only caught two passes during his time in Miami, which was cut short in 2021 due to a shoulder injury, but he had 59 receptions for 504 yards and three touchdowns while at Houston, including 29 catches in both the 2016 and 2017 campaigns.
King also had 11 kickoff returns for Houston, averaging 25.4 yards per return with one touchdown.
The shoulder injury that limited King to three games in 2021 caused him to miss the NFL Scouting Combine. He will likely be a Day 3 selection or an undrafted free agent signing.
