PATSNUTme

Here is an article which puts the draft in prospective:

http://www.crescent-news.com/news/article/3648462

No one loves the draft more than me and I plan to watch every pick and try to guess who will be taken when. But I think this article reminds all of us draftniks that it is a big crap shoot.

And the most meaningless exercise comes the week after the draft when the medidots give there draft grades. This takes place beore any ofthese player even play a preseason game.

RussFrancis

Man, the results of those '02 and '05 drafts really put it into perspective.

Here's the thing about the draft, that we all pretty much know. Those top 10 players are typically going to bad, bad, and often desperate teams. Often times, the head coaches and the staffs of those teams are in near 'lame duck' mode. So, not only are those top picks not exactly surrounded with premier talent, their coaches are under pressure to win and often times rush these young players to produce before theyre really ready.

Whoever NE drafts this year will likely NOT be a full-time starter, or if he is, he'll have plenty of veteran leadership around him to keep him grounded and contribute to bringing him along. But I really dont think our top pick this year will see as much time as the rest of these top picks, unless the pick is Alberts. Id expect he'd be thrown into the starting lineup with instruction to go hammer some people. As complicated as schemes can be, I cant imagine more positions on either side of the ball being LESS complicated to pick up than interior line. Which is part of the reason why I think we'll end up taking Albert. He's got as good a chance as any of being a stud, and he'll be as ready to go right away as any. And the men currently filling that RG position are less than stellar, and probably the weakest starting position on the team.

I expect we'll ultimately see a ton of busts again from this draft. I definitely dont expect our guy is gonna be one of them.

State

That's why the Patriots look to see if football is the priority in the young man's life. Some one like Gholston might be lackadaisical at times, while Chris Long with physical tools not as exemplary as Gholston's--and who is already well off--is a sure bet barring injury: he plays for the sake of playing. Like Mike Vrabel, he'd be the kind of player who will step up in big situations.

The same's said of Jake Long who defied some instant gratification by staying at Michigan for his senior year. Football is a priority for him. He's a team player.

That's why the two Longs are sure bets as far as that can be said in life. And there are only death and taxes that truly fit the bill.

Zeke_Mowatt

Great article and another reminder to me personally how much better I think it is if we can trade down for multiple picks...it is, after all, more often than not a numbers game, not a "who gets first crack" game. The "sure fire" guys are just as hard to figure as the later round guys regardless of what they look like at the combine, game films, etc. I enjoy the draft every year, I have my predictions, and I am fully aware that I'm usually (read: always) completely wrong. It's a great distraction and a way to get familiar with some of the guys we might see next year, but I know darn well no matter how many mocks we see, if BB picks anyone that we've all suggested I'll be shocked.