The Patriots took Alabama QB Mac Jones with the 15th pick in the NFL Draft. (AP photo)

When the abysmal, weird, almost surreal 2020 season ended for the New England Patriots, two things were obvious:

One, they needed a quarterback of the future, because with Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham, it certainly didn’t appear that one was on ther roster.

Two, they needed to become more physical, especially defensively against the run, as teams were beating the Patriots up. They had become soft.

First we had free agency first, where the Patriots addressed a lot of that.

And then…. there’s this weekend’s NFL Draft. With their first four picks, the Patriots got their quarterback of the future in Alabama’s Mac Jones, a big bulky defensive Crimson Tide defensive tackle in Christian Barmore, a brusing edge rusher in Oklahoma’s Ronnie Perkins, and a potential battering ram in OU running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

The rest? Likely roster fodder, but let’s put it this way: There were no kickers taken by the Patriots in the fifth round or beyond. Whew.

“Kind of unsuaal to go back-to-back from Alabama and Oklahoma, but that’s just the way it worked out,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.

Well, both are known for producing solid NFL players, and of course the Patriots also took a Michigan defensive player in linebacker Cameron McGrone.

But here’s the other thing they did – or really, didn’t do. The Patriots didn’t trade with the exception of one move, to go up and get Barmore some eight picks ahead of where they were supposed to pick. Other than that, they sat and let the draft come to them — the last draft, as Belichick announced, that the mysterious Ernie Adams, jack of all assistant coaching trades, will have participated in. Apparently Adams is retiring sometime soon, or after the season. Belichick didn’t say but noted Adams’ contributions are “historic.”

“The acquisiont of a lot of great playrs, all the process that goes into the drfting, grading players, scouting players, setting up a grading scale, trading, really every single thing that is involved in that,” Belichick said. “Ernie’s had that seat and that role and been a part of all those things in the Draft room.”

But no longer. One wonders what impact Adams had on this draft. Yes, New England got the quarterback in Jones, said to be the most pro ready because of the offense he played in under Nick Saban. Jones won’t unseat Newton right away as the starter, and he could be inactive each of the first six or seven games. Eventually, he will be the starter.

But it says something that Belichick did not want to trade up to get him. Perhaps he lacked the trade capital as the lower rounds weren’t filled with talent. Jones fell into the Patriots laps, and that made owner Robert Kraft happy. Belichick is no dummy, and he knows above all that’s an important thing.

He also knew he needed a QB. But Jones will fit this offense’s short-to-medium passing system, as that is the type of receivers the Patriots have.

With a lot of the draftees, Belichick used the word “versatile”. That’s always something that the Patriots, who won’t hesitate to ask a wideout to play defensive back, love.

But they got themselves a quarterback that many feel will supplant Stidham. And keep in mind the words Belichick used to describe Perkins:

“Another guy that ha good ability to be disruptive on defense,” he said, “and play physical, has a very physical playing style.”

There you go. Belichick noted that the “ages are getting younger all the time. Well, for the players, not the coaches. We just keep getting older.”

Which is why this was so important for Belichick&Co.to go 2 for 2 in this one: QB, and physical.