The New England Patriots likely won't splurge on an expensive free-agent quarterback to replace Tom Brady.

But they very well could draft a QB to compete with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer in 2020.

The Patriots, who own the No. 23 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, are big fans of Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, a rival general manager told NBC Sports' Peter King.

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"They love Justin Herbert," the GM told King, "but enough to trade up for him?"

It's a fair question: Herbert has been projected as high as a top-10 pick and should be the third QB off the board behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. (Our Phil Perry has Herbert going 18th in his latest NFL Mock Draft.)

The Patriots have 12 picks in 2020 but only two in the top 100 (No. 23 and No. 87), and King speculated New England may have to move its 2021 first-rounder to land Herbert.

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"If they want Herbert, they’d likely have to be willing to part with the 2021 first-rounder in a trove of picks," King wrote.

Herbert is a tantalizing talent who likely would fit well in Foxboro: When asked which coach most impressed him at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, the 22-year-old named Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, adding that he "love(s)" New England's offense.

But would Bill Belichick give up a future first-rounder for the Oregon product?

History suggests that's unlikely: The Patriots haven't drafted a QB higher than No. 62 overall (Jimmy Garoppolo) in Belichick's tenure, and the team reportedly is interested in several other signal-callers who should go lower in the 2020 draft.