In just under a week to go until the NFL Draft, the peristent chatter continues forward on who will be the next signal caller of ther future for the New England Patriots.

Up to this point in the pre-draft process, most of that conversation has been contingent on the idea that the team will look into adding to the position early in the first round. However, there’s a world in which we see New England pivot in a different direction, perhaps by taking a quarterback prospect later in the draft they view has value.

One of those candidates could be South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, who’s coming off of his 5th season in college and projected to be a QB eyed in day two or three of the draft.

Amid New England’s need at quarterback, Rattler was asked by Phil A. Perry on The Next Pats Podcast about what it would mean being drafted by the Patriots during next year’s draft, noting that the opportunity “would mean a lot”:

“It would mean a lot… Obviously, got a lot of respect for New England. Watched Tom Brady do so many great things coming up. I was around Troy Brown… it would mean a lot… getting picked anywhere is a blessing.”

Most signs up to this point have led to the Patriots selecting Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels at the third spot, but in the event of a draft day shake-up or a potential trade down, there could be a chance Rattler lands in play for New England. He’s coming off a year posting numbers of 3,186 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions on a 68.9% completion rate.

Rattler is a bit undersized as a QB at 6-foot-0 but possesses ideal traits as a pocket passer with strong accuracy. There might be a bit of separation between him and the rest of the top talent in the class, but he sticks out as an intriguing option later down the board.

As the first round of the NFL Draft approaches on April 25th in Detroit, all answers will soon be brought to light as the Patriots officially make their first top-three selection since 1993.