In the third round the Patriots select … a quarterback?

When the New England Patriots make an unusual pick, you shrug and assume Bill Belichick knows what he’s doing, and Patriots fans hope it’s not just another Dominique Easley reach.

But the Jacoby Brissett pick was pretty unusual.

Brissett is a talented quarterback from N.C. State. He makes sense as a third-round developmental pick, because he has good physical skills and needs some work at the NFL level. The player isn’t the issue, but the team that picked him is worth noting. It’s not like the Patriots aren’t set at quarterback already.

That’s not to say there isn’t a plan, and it probably has more to do with Jimmy Garoppolo than Tom Brady. Garoppolo will be entering his third season, and he can become a free agent after the 2017 season. Although it looked like Garoppolo might be Brady’s successor when the Patriots took him in the second round, it doesn’t seem now like Brady will be out of gas by the 2018 season. Brady will be 39 next season but he’s still among the best in the NFL.

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That leads to a conundrum with Garoppolo. The Patriots might not be ready to sign him to a Brock Osweiler-type extension, so maybe they’ll trade him after the 2016 season. With Brady facing a four-game suspension, the first four games could end up being a showcase for Garoppolo and potential trade partners. Then if Garoppolo gets shipped off, Brissett would presumably become the next in line for the Patriots.

For a team that should feel it’s one of the few Super Bowl favorites, it’s not a move that will help this season. Or maybe even next season or the season after that, for that matter. But the Patriots had a plan in mind for the pick, even if it might not materialize right away.

There’s a method to the Patriots’ moves, even though this one seemed like a bit of a surprise.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab