Depth of this year's draft: good and bad

[DaBruinz]

Looking at all the mock drafts, it seems to me that this is a really strong draft in the first round, throughout the first round actually.

Then it falls off a cliff in the second round.

Knowing that you have the #33 pick which, given a reach or two in the first round, will be a highly marketable/tradable pick between the first and second days, i have to think the Belichick will strongly think of moving up.

I know Belichick would never do this, but if he feels Mike Pouncey is a surefire 10 year guard, then I would trade up to get him.

Trade up you say? What about our late second, our late third, and next year's #1. Look at the draft value chart: those three picks equal about 700, or right where Pouncey projects.

I then take a 3-4/OLB at #16 AND a DE at #28 (or vice versa).

I get three first rounders this year.

Then, I trade down from my #33 pick. If I trade down to 52, I can pick up a 3rd rounder like the one I traded for Pouncey. I might go Marvin Austin, Robert Quinn, or an OL like Moffitt there.

So, I come out of the first two rounds with 3 #1s, 1 #2, and I still have 2 #3, 1 #4.

I'd be tempted to trade the rest of the picks into next year because I'll be missing a #1.

I don't get this.. Pouncey is rating out as a late 1st/early 2nd. The Pats have 2 picks in that area. 28 and 33. Why would they have to trade up to get him?

Especially at the cost of next year's 1st round pick..

 

[DaBruinz]

I'm seeing a lot want us too draft a guard high in the draft. Not that i'm against the idea totally, but wasn't Kaczur practicing at guard last year before his injury?

Kaczur will be 32 this year. He also has a history of back injuries.. I don't see him being long for this team.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Aren't you really saying that you don't recognize the second rounders? If indeed this draft has a big dropoff early, then we (and everyone else) will be looking to trade up. My suspicion is that the drop won't occur until at least 40, giving us at least 3 red-chip picks.
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My paradigm is that we have

blue chippers (1 through 9-12 depending on the draft)

red chippers (9-12 through 25 to 75, or even later, depending on the draft)

nfl contributers (sometimes this group ends very early as in 2007; sometimes it goes all the way through the 7th round as in last year's draft)

the rest
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Obviously, a team can find that diamond in the ruff late, as we did last year with Hernandez.

I would note that scout had our 53 through 113 pick rated very close to each other.

Looking at all the mock drafts, it seems to me that this is a really strong draft in the first round, throughout the first round actually.

Then it falls off a cliff in the second round.

Is this Pouncy really as good as Maurkice Pouncey? Let's not get the players confused now. I don't see any reason to move up for Pouncey he should be available at #28 or #33 and I really don't like taking guards in the 1st round unless they are elite. Now if we can find a Saffold type late in round 1, an LT like that is easily worth the value of a 1st round pick. 1st round tackle + Vollmer would equal a really good tandem to protect Brady.

 

[DaBruinz]

According to Belichick, it happened two drafts ago. He was saying that the third rounders the Patriots were looking at would have been undrafted in other years--according to the grades they give.

Actually, that was the 2007 draft. Not the 2008 draft. It was the year that the Pats added Welker and Moss via trade and drafted Meriweather in the 1st round and then Kareem Brown in the 4th and then a bunch of O-linemen who couldn't stick beyond that.

 

[upstater1]

I don't get this.. Pouncey is rating out as a late 1st/early 2nd. The Pats have 2 picks in that area. 28 and 33. Why would they have to trade up to get him?

Especially at the cost of next year's 1st round pick..

I've seen projections of him going earlier.

If he's around and the Patriots think of him as highly as some scouts do, then obviously they wouldn't need to trade for him.

 

[ATippett56]

Knowing that you have the #33 pick which, given a reach or two in the first round, will be a highly marketable/tradable pick between the first and second days, i have to think the Belichick will strongly think of moving up.

I know Belichick would never do this, but if he feels Mike Pouncey is a surefire 10 year guard, then I would trade up to get him.

Currently Mike Pouncey grades out to be the #36 overall best prospect in the 2011 NFL Draft. Thus the New England Patriots could expend the #33 draft pick on the Florida Gators offensive guard.

NFL Draft Scout----Powered By: The Sports Xchange

 

[ATippett56]

Looking at all the mock drafts, it seems to me that this is a really strong draft in the first round, throughout the first round actually.

Based on preliminary indications, I agree.

Then it falls off a cliff in the second round.

Based on preliminary indications, I disagree.

Knowing that you have the #33 pick which, given a reach or two in the first round, will be a highly marketable/tradable pick between the first and second days, i have to think the Belichick will strongly think of moving up.

I know Belichick would never do this, but if he feels Mike Pouncey is a surefire 10 year guard, then I would trade up to get him.

Trade up you say? What about our late second, our late third, and next year's #1. Look at the draft value chart: those three picks equal about 700, or right where Pouncey projects.

Based upon preliminary indications, Mike Pouncey should be available at #33. However the bigger picture is the Mankins and Light impending unrestricted free agency. In my opinion, the New England Patriots need to provide a contract extension to Logan Mankins. If the New England Patriots do not provide a contract extension to Matt Light, then the New England Patriots need to serious look at an offensive tackle with the #28 overall selection.

 

[Fencer]

By the way -- if the Patriots had known how good McCourty would have been, they wouldn't have traded down ...

... just like they wouldn't have waited until the 6th round to take Brady.

 

[Coach42]

I presume you're referring to 2008, but the bolded part is the key. There were a lot of guys drafted in the 3rd and later out of that class who have done well in other systems that wouldn't have fit here or wouldn't have been any upgrade to guys we already had on the roster at those positions. IOW, they weren't guys that BB "was looking at" for the Pats, for one reason or another, at the time. BB was in desperate need of young bodies at CB and drafted two, but, as it turned out, talent at the particular positions DID really fall off a cliff after Tracy Porter went to NO at #40 (with the exception perhaps of Terrell Thomas - who the Giants took with the pick after BB took Wheatley).

I think he was actually talking about 2007. Horrible draft.