Jarrett Stidham's preseason debut was nothing short of promising

The Patriots' fourth round pick shows plenty of signs to make New England believe Jarrett Stidham could be something special.

When the second quarter came in Thursday night's preseason opener between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions, it was rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham's turn to show New England why N'Keal Harry isn't the only rookie Patriots fans should be excited about in regards to the team's future. 

Through nearly three quarters of play, Stidham completed 14-of-24 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown. He also had a 95.7 QB rating. Though his 58 percent completion percentage is nothing to get excited about, the stats don't quite tell the whole story about his NFL debut. 

Stidham's poise in the pocket allowed him to complete passes down field on numerous occasions despite having opposing lineman in his face. He had some hesitation at moments in the red-zone which led to incompletions, but overall, the rookies body of work was nothing short of impressive. 

On two different occasions, Stidham threw a deep ball to veteran wideout Maurice Harris, who dropped both passes even though they were catchable. Not to mention that both were inside the red-zone with green in front of Harris, so both plays could have ended in touchdowns if he had corralled them. His passes were frequently well-timed and his command of the offense was surprisingly strong despite his recent introduction to it. 

"From day one (of training camp) to now, I've grown so much," Stidham told the media during postgame. "But I have to continue to grow. Im really looking forward to getting in the film room and continuing to do that."

Playing like Stidham did Thursday night will at the very least put him in consideration of being the team's emergency quarterback instead of veteran, Brian Hoyer, who also had a great night in the pocket (12-of-14, 147 yards, two touchdowns). Though Hoyer has been Brady's backup for the past two seasons and has spent five years in New England, he gives no upside to the position and does nothing but provide serviceable reps in Brady absence. Stidham provides a much higher ceiling due to his age and ability as an athletic thrower of the football. Week 1 of the preseason proved that. 

With three games left in the preseason, the former Auburn standout can gain ground on Hoyer and force New England to decide what course of action to take: use Hoyer as trade bait or keep three QBs on the roster. Because as it stands right now - Stidham is making the 53-man roster one way or another.