EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots selected Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton in the seventh round of the NFL draft Saturday, giving them a third option behind starter Drake Maye and top backup Tommy DeVito as Morton pledged to do whatever he can to help."If he needs a coffee from Starbucks, I'm there for Drake," he said.Morton is seven months older than Maye, the NFL MVP runner-up who turns 24 in August. The two first connected as part of the same high school senior class while participating in the Elite 11 quarterback series, meeting up in the finals in Tennessee."I got to know him there. He's a great dude," Morton told reporters via video conference shortly after he was selected with the 234th pick. "He's a guy I can learn from. Obviously, he had a tremendous season last year. So getting to learn from him and Tommy DeVito, this is going to be a great opportunity for me."Morton, who is from Eastland, Texas, and grew up admiring quarterback Brett Favre's playing style, went 26-10 as a starter at Texas Tech. He completed 66% of his passes in 2025, totaling 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. While motivated to help Maye and DeVito, he added: "I'm fired up to be there. I'm a competitor. I'm going to elevate the room, for sure, and do whatever it takes to make this organization better."Adding a developmental quarterback was among the Patriots' stated goals entering the draft, and Morton was among those who visited their facility in the weeks leading up to the draft.Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf shared what appealed to the Patriots about the 6-foot-2, 221-pound Morton, who played in a shotgun-based spread offense at Texas Tech."The first thing that stands out is the toughness. He's been beat up and played through a lot of stuff," Wolf said, referencing knee and shoulder injuries. "He has a live arm. He's really smart. He's been productive and has played a lot of football. He's a really good fit for the type of offense we want to run."
