The latest Patriots quarterback project is already drawing some high praise from some of the biggest names in the business.
But while N.C. State’s Jacoby Brissett might not be a household name yet, the guys he’s getting compared to have to grab Patriots’ fans attention.
Former coach Bill Parcells first watched him play in high school in Florida, and nothing he saw in college dissuaded him from thinking Brissett would be successful.
“He’s a Curtis Martin, Willie McGinest, Troy Brown type player. That’s the kind of guy he is. That’s what New England is getting,” Parcells said, via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “Those kinds, those Tedy Bruschi types, those players who’ve been successful — he’s very similar in his personal life to those kinds of guys.”
With the 91st pick in the draft, the Patriots added him to a long line of guys to develop behind Tom Brady, most of them moving on after a few years to develop elsewhere. In the short term, he’s cover for Jimmy Garoppolo (particularly if Tom Brady’s four-game suspension stands). But Parcells, who has become a mentor for Brissett thinks the ceiling is even higher.
“You never really know for sure until you see a player under the gun, so to speak, at the top level,” Parcells said. “But, that being said. I have a very high regard for this young man. He’s an awesome kid. He’s very bright. He has zero personal issues. He’s a very dedicated, committed guy and I think he’s going to the absolute perfect place for him. They’ve got a great coach, a great organization, and they’ve got a great role model playing that he’ll be able to observe and learn from. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Because of what I think he has, his career is going to develop well.”
Parcells said he was going to visit with Brissett soon, to give him the “rules of engagement” for playing for Bill Belichick. But if what he says about the rookie quarterback is true, Brissett is already off to a good start en route to a career there.
