Patriots QB – Bailey Zappe – 2022 Draft, Pick 137

Q: Where were you when you got the call and what was your first reaction when you got drafted?

BZ: Yes sir. I was at home in Victoria, Texas with my family when I got the call. It’s surreal and a dream come true. I can’t wait to get up there and get to work.

Q: What do you know about Mac Jones and this QB room?

BZ: He’s a phenomenal quarterback. He’s a great QB, just like the rest of the QBs in this room. I’m really looking forward to learning from these three guys and getting up there, meeting them and doing whatever I can to help the team. I’m really excited about this opportunity.

Q: How surprised were you to hear the Patriots say that many weren’t expecting a quarterback this year?

BZ: Everything was going to be a surprise when I got drafted. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for so long and it’s something I’ve been dreaming about ever since I started playing football at age five. Getting that call from the Patriots was amazing, and I’m more excited to get there, get to work and meet my teammates, meet everyone in the organization and get ready to start playing football.

Q: What were your pre-draft conversations like with the Patriot team?

BZ: I got to talk to a lot of teams and really talk to everyone throughout the Senior Bowl and the Combine. This whole process has been amazing, and it’s been a dream come true to build relationships with so many people. I’m really excited to have this opportunity and can’t wait to face the Patriots and get to work.

Q: What specific things did you discuss with the Patriots during the Combine and the Senior Bowl?

BZ: It was like any other interview. We talked about the ball, talked about the background, and came up with an idea and started building that relationship really with each team. That’s how it happened. I like to keep these conversations private between me and the coaches and scouts. I can’t wait to get up there and get to work.

Q: How would you describe your game day preparation process?

BZ: The majority is watching the movie, getting into the theater, doing whatever you can to learn and keep growing and obviously helping the team win. That’s the most important thing is to win. My mindset coming into this organization is to do everything I can to help the team win. I can’t wait to get there and get to work.

Q: What are your greatest strengths as a player and passer?

BZ: There is a lot of room to grow. As a member of this organization, there will be opportunities for me to get to that point and grow as a QB. I think some of the strengths are, I love football, I love learning about the game, my knowledge of the game, continuing to work on precise ball placement like every QB wants to work. By being part of this organization, I will be able to learn from so many coaches and players. I’m excited to step into the QB room and work with them.

Q: How have you been living for the past two years?

BZ: Nothing less than a dream come true. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about ever since I started playing. To be in that position, get the phone call, get drafted, and say I’m an NFL quarterback is surreal to me.

Q: What do you think about having only one university offer?

BZ: Coming out, I only had one offer. I always dreamed of playing in the NFL. I felt like I just needed one opportunity and I got it. To be here and look back has been a long and fun journey. Like I said, it was a dream come true to be in that position, to be drafted by the Patriots, a great organization, it’s surreal to me. There is still a lot of work to do from now on, and I can’t wait for this start, and I want to get to work.

Q: Do you play with a chip on your shoulder?

BZ: I continue to be myself. I’m not trying to be someone else. I will come to work every day and be one percent better. That’s how I see it. I don’t worry too much about naysayers and critics. The Patriots believe in me, and these coaches, players and organization believed in me and these are the people I’m going to try to prove right, that this choice was the right one.

Patriots WR – Tyquan Thornton – 2022 Draft, Pick 50

Q: Congratulations, first of all. For those who don’t know you, what are your greatest qualities and what type of player do you bring to New England?

TT: I’m ready to learn the game and come day by day to improve and work. So that’s what I bring to the New England Patriots is bring a lot of excitement, and I’m willing to learn and work with the coaches and the players here as well.

Q: Can you tell us where you are right now and what it was like when you got the call?

TT: I’m in Miami, Florida right now, my hometown, and I’m here at home with my family and with my mom, my dad, my two little boys, my girlfriend, and all of us. Getting the phone call from the New England Patriots, I mean, it was a dream come true. Just seeing my family’s smiles and everyone applauding made my heart race. It was a feeling I had never felt before.

Q: If I’m not mistaken, you know Gillette Stadium. What can you tell us about your impressions of the stadium and your time here?

TT: I love the stadium. It is very beautiful. Being there just for the day I was there, I mean, I was amazed.

Q: Welcome to New England and congratulations on your draft. I wanted to ask you about this visit. How was it and what did you learn about the Patriots, and what did they learn about you?

TT: I learned a lot about the history of the Patriots, man. Just walk around this facility and see the photos and all the greats that have passed through this facility. You know, I was really excited just to be there, and I was on top and just meeting the coaches and seeing the plans and everything they do, it was really awesome.

Q: I just wanted to ask you in the Baylor attack, were you mainly playing X, Z? What role did you play in the attack?

TT: I feel like I’m playing at Baylor, they prepared me pretty well. I just ran different offenses for the first few years, my first year and my second year, and then Coach Brown came along and brought in a different offense, you know? I feel like they prepared me in regards to site adjustments and route conversion. I learned all the positions, from L to Z, so I don’t just learn one position. You have to learn the whole concept.

Q: I just wanted to ask you about your last season at Baylor. It looks like you’ve taken quite a leap forward, what happened to take you to the next level and how do you think your speed will translate to the NFL?

TT: I feel like what made the big step was staying true to the process. At Baylor, we’re talking about pounding the rock. So always hit this road, knowing that it’s not going to break the first shot, so just keep doing this work day and night and stick to the process, then you’ll start to see results.

Q: And obviously you ran 4:28 at the combine, how do you think that speed will translate to the next level?

TT: I think it’s going to translate pretty well and just getting into the building and working with the coach and working with the players and just learning new things. So, you know, it’s just putting it together with my speed, I can’t wait to see.

Q: Where does this speed come from and have you always been this fast? When did you remember knowing that you were faster than everyone else?

TT: So I was always a speedster growing up. I mean, I raced track growing up, so at a young age, I was about 12, I would say. In my first year on track I won the Junior Olympics with, I’m not going to say a lot of practice, but I mean, so I was naturally fast, but I was kind of like a long walker. So when I got to college I had speed because I was out of high school and just adding the weight room to my game allowed me to be a lot more explosive. So like I said, add to the process, put the weight room and everything in there, and I got more explosive and now my speed has gone to a different level.

Q: How much do you think growing up where you lived in Miami helped improve your game as a football player?

TT: It helped me a lot to raise my game as a football player. Growing up in Miami, there’s a lot of adversity. There’s a lot going on outside of you that you can’t control. So, I mean, it’s basically football. You have to control what you control, so you have to come every day, put your head down and go to work. You can’t worry about what’s happening around us.

Q: I was just wondering what were your initial impressions of Bill Belichick based on some of the conversations you had with him and your thoughts on preparing to play for a coach like him?

TT: Oh man. I already love him, man. He’s a big process guy. That’s all we talked about at Baylor, staying true to the process and I’m very excited to work with him and come in every day and learn my job. I am ready to learn. I am ready to compete and learn with the coaches.

Q: Have you ever heard of Mac Jones and what are your impressions you have of him based on what you watched of him while he was in Alabama or last year with the Patriots.

TT: Oh man. I mean, I watched it at some games in Alabama. He’s a stallion, man. Just knowing he’s a Florida guy too. He plays at a high level. He’s a great quarterback and I’m happy to work with him.

Q: I just wanted to ask you, growing up, did you follow the Patriots and what does it mean to be drafted by the Patriots organization and what do you think of the Patriots?

TT: I mean, sure, I watched the Patriots. Tom Brady. I mean, they won a lot of Super Bowls there and that defense was pretty good. I just remember watching a highlight video of pick six and them blocking gold on the field and turning it over for a touchdown and Tom Brady and all those touchdowns and everything. I mean, the Patriots, they’re a very historic team. I knew a lot about them, and I was impressed with what I thought just being there in New England and just being where you are in the same hall that Tom Brady once walked through and those other greats who walked through the building. I was very excited to be there.

Q: When did you expect to be drafted?

TT: I really didn’t think when or where exactly, but I mean, I expected to be drafted on day two.

Q: If you could describe your playing style, how would you describe it?

TT: I would describe him as very versatile and I’m very coachable. So, you know, right here in New England, getting ready to work with the coaches, I’d like to adjust my style and critique it any way I can and I’m just ready to learn and grow. Definitively.

Q: During your visit, who did you meet and what was your impression of the coaching staff?

TT: I met the two receiving coaches and we talked a bit and met different coaches. I met different coaches, but I just met them and talked about the ball and saw what kind of coaches they are and what kind of people they are too. We had good conversations and they were nice people, and I was very excited to be there and I’m also excited to work with you too.

Q: Do you model your game after anyone in particular?

TT: Yes. I try to model my game after Davante Adams. I love how it creates separation up the road and at the line of scrimmage as well. So I try to mimic that a bit with my outings and running route, while adding some speed to it.

Q: Why do you think the Patriots viewed you as such a candidate and why would you fit here?

TT: Like I said before, man, I come from a program like Baylor University where we stick to the process. The process is all we know. You have to know your job and you have to do your job to a high standard, and I feel like that’s something I did during the four years I was at Baylor. So I mean, I’m ready to make it happen and the power of God, definitely.