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Five things to know about Patriots seventh-round pick Behren Morton
Morton has a history with Drake Maye.
The Patriots added to their quarterback room in the final round of the NFL Draft, selecting quarterback Behren Morton out of Texas Tech with the 234th overall pick.
Listed at 6 feet 2 inches, 218 pounds, he’ll be looking to find a spot on the roster behind Drake Maye and Tommy DeVito.
Here are five things to know about Morton:
His impressive numbers at Texas Tech put him in elite company
A dual threat in high school, Morton passed for more than 8,800 yards and 84 touchdowns, and eclipsed 1,200 rushing yards and 24 TDs, in three seasons at Eastland [Texas] High School. He committed to Texas Tech in October of his junior year.
Morton’s 8,986 passing yards in 42 games are good for fourth all time for the Red Raiders. One spot ahead of him is three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes. Former Patriot Kliff Kingsbury is second, trailing only Graham Harrell.
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Morton became the first Texas Tech quarterback to throw for at least 2,500 yards in consecutive seasons with eight or fewer interceptions.
This is only the beginning ⏳📈
Behren Morton NFL Draft Tape 🎞️#Big12FB | @TexasTechFB pic.twitter.com/iB9WvH4LLA— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) April 22, 2026
His 26 wins as a starting quarterback are second-most in school history, trailing Harrell.
He demonstrated an ability to play through pain
After missing two games in October, including Tech’s only loss of the regular season, to Arizona State, Morton returned to play the final five games with a hairline fracture in his right fibula. He spent seven to eight weeks in a walking boot and saw limited practice time before managing to get on the field on game days.
That was after he spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons playing with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain of his throwing shoulder before finally having surgery ahead of the 2025 season.
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He started 12 of 14 games as a senior to lead the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 Conference title and a spot in the College Football Playoff, where they lost, 23-0, to Oregon to finish the season 12-2. He completed a career-high 66 percent of his passes, which led the Big 12.
The Patriots hosted him for a visit prior to the draft
After releasing veteran Joshua Dobbs in March, the Patriots were looking to add another signal-caller and decided to give Morton a look, hosting him for a top-30 visit.
“It was a great visit,“ Morton said in a Zoom call on Saturday night. ”The facilities up in New England were awesome. The coaches were great. A lot of one-on-one time with coach [Mike Vrabel]. It was great, really enjoyed my time up there. I’m excited to get up there.”
The Red Raiders run the veer and shoot, an offensive system primarily used in college but rarely in the NFL, but Morton believes he can make the adjustment to the pro game. He met with Josh McDaniels during his visit to Foxborough, and watched film with the offensive coordinator.
“He’s obviously had a lot of success in this offense,” said Morton. “We talked a little bit about the offense, and I think this fits my game really well. I’m excited about this opportunity. I think this is going to be really good for me. I’m ready to get to Foxborough and get started.”
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He has a history with Drake Maye
Morton and Maye were in the same recruiting class and participated in the 2020 Elite 11 quarterback competition, where they were finalists at Tennessee.
“I got to know him there,” said Morton. “He is a great dude. He is a young guy that I can learn from, and obviously he had a tremendous season last year. Getting to learn from him this year and Tommy DeVito; this is going to be a great opportunity for me, and I am really excited about it.”
Morton, 24, is seven months older than Maye but appears eager to learn from his younger counterpart and accept whatever role will land him on the roster.
“I am really looking forward to picking his brain about what he’s done in the league so far,” said Morton. “He has been very successful this last year. And so, I am going to do whatever it takes. Throughout the week, game-planning prep — whatever he needs. If he needs a coffee from Starbucks, I’m there for Drake. Whatever he needs throughout this process, I am here for him.”
Growing up, he looked up to Brett Favre
OK, maybe this isn’t what Patriots fans wanted to know, but let’s hear the kid out.
“I loved the way that he played,” said Morton. “He plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. Being from a small town in Texas, this is a dream come true. To get this opportunity, I am going to take full advantage of it, for sure.”
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