With the reigning MVP under center, the Patriots are one of the few teams in the league who don’t need help at quarterback. So why is New England using some of its 30 allotted on-site pre-draft visits on signal callers like Ryan Mallett and Jake Locker?

Simply put, despite the fact that New England has Tom Brady, they have never been shy about taking a quarterback in the draft. In fact, one of the few things you can count on when it comes to the Patriots is that they will bring in at least one quarterback, either as a draftee or undrafted free agent. Since Brady took over, the Patriots have drafted five quarterbacks in nine years — Rohan Davey, Kliff Kingsbury, Matt Cassel, Kevin O’Connell and Zac Robinson. (They’ve also signed undrafted free agents Brian Hoyer and Matt Gutierrez.)

The thinking? Even though New England is one of the most secure teams in the league when it comes to quarterback play, it never hurts to keep one eye on the future. In a conference call with reporters earlier this week, Bill Parcells was asked if it was too early for the Patriots and Colts to start thinking about grooming a replacement for Brady and Peyton Manning.

“I think you have a constant vigil to try to maintain continuity at that position because it is the premier position in the league. And it’s vital,” he responded. “These players are up in their 30s, and they both seem to be very well-conditioned, very durable, very committed players. I think the future is certainly part of what the Patriots and the Colts will be relying on from those players.

“But, that being said, I think any time you get into your 30s or mid 30s — like they’re approaching or currently in — you have to start thinking about it a little bit because you go out there one Sunday and it can be over pretty quickly, or your skills can deteriorate pretty quickly. I think it would be in the back of both teams’ minds now. You know, ‘Hey, maybe we ought to think about doing something here.’”

Even if you’re not thinking about grooming the next Tom Brady, there’s always the possibility that you can find an upgrade for the No. 2 spot — or even add a third quarterback. (The Patriots are one of a handful of teams who only carried two quarterbacks on their active roster.) While there are other draftable options — including Alabama's Greg McElroy, who we profiled as part of this story on mid- to late-round possibilities for New England — the events of this week have put the spotlight on Locker and Mallett, two intriguing prospects who are carrying some serious baggage heading into this draft, but who are still expected to be available between the middle of the first and middle of the second rounds and could likely be had with any one of New England's first three picks (Nos. 17, 28 and 33.)

Locker is coming off what could best be described as a disappointing year. The Washington product would have been the first quarterback taken had he come out after the 2009 season, but now, he’s behind a line of QBs that includes Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., explained why Locker has slipped from the top spot, saying he didn’t maintain the same level of play he had as a junior.

“He had to play to the level of a No. 1 pick and he didn’t — that’s it, that’s the bottom line. You have a year and you have to perform to the level of a first-round pick,” Kiper said. “He struggled again with accuracy. He didn’t have great talent around him. He did play through injuries — I give him credit for that, but the accuracy is an issue. Getting in the pocket, awareness, instinct and accuracy are an issue.”

Despite all that, Kiper believes Locker could still be a special player.

“For me, I still hold out hope that Locker can be a real good quarterback. He’s a great kid. He’s got all the physical skills you would want,” Kiper said. “He’s got tremendous ability. He was the No. 1 pick overall going into this year for a reason.”

As for Mallett, he’s been a lightning rod for criticism throughout the pre-draft process. At the combine, he defiantly refused to answer questions about some character questions, including possible past drug use. At the same time, he showed off a colossal arm that had many personnel men drooling about his potential.

“He has a rifle for an arm and he can make throws that no other quarterback in this class can make,” said ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay. “I’ve watched him on tape, and some of the throws he makes blow your mind, that he’s able to not only drive the ball down the field with that velocity but to do so accurately.”

McShay sees two major drawbacks with Mallett.

“First of all, he really struggles handling pressure. Part of it has to do with the mental, how quickly he digests things and how quickly he is able to make reads,” McShay said. “You’ve got to be able to avoid the rush, reset your feet and make accurate throws. Teams like Alabama in the second half and Ohio State that have gotten pressure on him and forced him to do that have really exposed him.

“And the second part is all the off-field stuff, and that is going to come down to individual NFL teams and whether they’re comfortable with him as a leader, with his football character and some of the concerns that have gone on off the field.”

Of course, when it comes to entertaining the two, there’s the possibility that the Patriots are engaging in a little misdirection. Last year, New England sparked a ton of idle pre-draft speculation when it was revealed Belichick broke bread with Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. If a team in need of a quarterback thinks the Patriots might be interested Locker or Mallett presumably at either No. 17 or 28, it could do many things, including possibly create a sellers’ market for New England’s picks.

But if there is genuine interest on the part of the Patriots on bringing in the quarterback of the future this year, ESPN analyst Jon Gruden says there’s no better quarterback a rookie could learn from than Brady.

“What a great opportunity to get a young guy that you think has tremendous upside for the future to watch Tom Brady. Just like Aaron Rodgers got to watch Brett Favre. Like Steve Young got to watch Joe Montana,” Gruden said. “When you’ve got a Pro Bowl, Hall of Fame guy, that a young guy can just witness and just watch behind the scenes. How he prepares, how he handles the pocket, how he approaches his day-to-day profession.

“They’ve got some extra picks. They have a number of draft choices. I know well enough that they’re going to take some really good players with those picks, and I don’t think they care which position. But I think it would be a unique and tremendous opportunity for the Patriots to get a guy in their stable that they can develop. What better resource than Tom Brady?”