Sporting News: Patriots as only 1 of 2 teams given an A+ grade in the draft

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

For those who think Belichick was smoking crack while picking the draft,there is another SN columnist tonight who thinks Belichick was smoking hot.....

Pats are Only 1 of 2 teams to get the highest possible grading shared with Detroit.

The Jets as a major fail grade with a big fat 'D' :rocker:

NFL Draft grades: Lions, Patriots ace their tests; Jets swing and miss - NFL - Sporting News

 

[Nikolai]

Re: Sports Illustrated: Patriots as only 1 of 2 teams given an A+ grade in the draft

This happened last year too. The caterwauls in here over McCourty were crazy, and a lot of people rated that draft as pretty bad, but a lot of the national writers liked it.

We'll just have to see.

 

[memento]

I'm not going to defend the Jets, but they did take the lineman I was hoping for....

 

[ausbacker]

A- for mine. A+ means to me you've hit in every position and it's simply to difficult to know that ahead of time and minus free agency.

 

[hellolin]

The lineman that was gonna end up in Jail?

 

[condon84]

Well, if this article says so, then this makes me feel better....

 

[upstater1]

I'm not going to defend the Jets, but they did take the lineman I was hoping for....

I posted links to Wilkerson's games this year still available on ESPN3. I watched him a lot. That guy is soft as heck. He is really bad. I think Ellis, on the other hand, may well replace Jenkins and be really good.

 

[mgteich]

I guess that is part of the point. Some of the analysis of posters here is no better than the jets. Seriously, Belichick knew enough to use his draft choices much better than the jets did. This is true even if I liked some of the jets choices before the draft. After all, we are just guessing. Belichick has the real information, and 40 years of experience in analyzing football information.

I'm not going to defend the Jets, but they did take the lineman I was hoping for....

 

[Rob0729]

I posted links to Wilkerson's games this year still available on ESPN3. I watched him a lot. That guy is soft as heck. He is really bad. I think Ellis, on the other hand, may well replace Jenkins and be really good.

If he doesn't go to jail. Don't know much about the case, but from the guy's injuries it does seem like Ellis is going to have a hard time with a self defense case. Breaking a guy's nose and jaw sounds like excessive force to disable a guy swinging a bat which would negate any self defense claim.

 

[BadMoFo]

They get a C from me.

 

[Rob0729]

BTW, who really cares what anyone gives as a draft grade the day after draft good or bad? That is like looking at a baby right after he was born and say he/she is going to be a doctor when they grow up.

I am optimistic that this will turn out to be a good draft, but none of us know even Belichick doesn't.

 

[Fencer]

Tough to argue that the Pats deserve an A+ and the Saints also deserve a grade as high as B.

 

[townes]

Tough to argue that the Pats deserve an A+ and the Saints also deserve a grade as high as B.

Why, both grades are based upon more than 1 deal, and that wasn't a bad deal for either team even if the Patriots got the better deal by the math.

Thee Patriots got what appears to be 4 prospects who could end up regular starters in short time, a great QB prospect mid third, and another 1st and 2nd for next year. Regardless of the frustration patriot fans feel with no pass rusher the patriots used their picks really well and made the team better both next year and for the future, good job imo, although i hope they actually use that extra 1st next year instead of moving it again.

 

[DarrylS]

Have a hard time with letter grades, but this was a very good draft for this team... considering this lockout, all of these picks do not have to contribute right away and may be a good thing as their development will be stymied.

 

[chicowalker]

If he doesn't go to jail. Don't know much about the case, but from the guy's injuries it does seem like Ellis is going to have a hard time with a self defense case. Breaking a guy's nose and jaw sounds like excessive force to disable a guy swinging a bat which would negate any self defense claim.

I don't know, the other guy having a baseball bat would seem to warrant fairly extreme force -- and a broken nose and jaw could easily be 2 punches from a guy Ellis's size.

 

[Fencer]

Why, both grades are based upon more than 1 deal, and that wasn't a bad deal for either team even if the Patriots got the better deal by the math.

I see no difference in scheme fit between NO and NE for Ingram.

There is admittedly some difference in need fit, but the Patriots drafted RB fairly high themselves.

The article called out the deal as part of the reason for the top grade. The article stressed Ingram as a big part of NO's grade.

While you're right that many other moves come into play, I sense a bit of doublethink there as to whether or not Ingram was worth what was traded for him.

 

[everlong]

I don't get the need people have to either completely trounce or defend this draft or what the Patriots do in general. Three years from now I highly doubt we'll be comparing this class to the 74 Steelers draft class, if we are happy days, and I highly doubt we'll be comparing it to a Matt Millen draft either.

All the name calling and pointless debates on both sides is spam at it's worst. I think it makes much more sense to break it down pick by pick and discuss the merits of the players involved. Even if you want to breakdown the big picture and say the front 7 wasn't addressed so I can never be happy with this draft you can still acknowledge that they gathered a lot of good talent.

Personally I look at every pick and think they got solid value and with Mallet and Cannon picks they took an associated risk at the correct time because of the enormous upside. These two picks could be perennial pro bowlers and they could be out of the league in two years.

I also look at the lack of anybody to push in the front seven and I still cannot believe it. Obviously BB feels the front has the players in place to make that jump to the next level with Ty Warren returning and all the returning players in their 2nd-4th seasons improving. I question if he's right and hope he is. I think this has become a passing league and building a team with the 2003-4 blue print is questionable in my eyes. The Patriots play more in passing sub packages than they do in base so why not a big gun at end or outside to bring the heat and make the offensive account for them?

Bill obviously thought getting younger and more talented on the O-Line and in the backfield was more important. It's hard not to see the merit in this as the O-line has been a smoke and mirrors job by Dante and Brady for a while now. The running game especially has been nearly all about deception. It would be nice to see them put a hat on a hat and crush the other team's D-Line and run it up their ass. I still don't know what the plan at center is to accomplish this as Koppen is a major liability when trying to run the ball. He's still effective in the passing game and vital in the line calls so it's a tough one.

Why does it have to be sports radio hyperbole with no middle ground?

 

[townes]

I see no difference in scheme fit between NO and NE for Ingram.

There is admittedly some difference in need fit, but the Patriots drafted RB fairly high themselves.

The article called out the deal as part of the reason for the top grade. The article stressed Ingram as a big part of NO's grade.

While you're right that many other moves come into play, I sense a bit of doublethink there as to whether or not Ingram was worth what was traded for him.

In which case it is N.O's grade you are really questioning, as the Patriots got both the RB they wanted and a 1st next year. Had they really wanted Ingram they simply would have taken him.

 

[Fencer]

In which case it is N.O's grade you are really questioning, as the Patriots got both the RB they wanted and a 1st next year. Had they really wanted Ingram they simply would have taken him.

Yes.

If Ingram really is the next Emmitt Smith, then they were right and many teams including the Patriots were wrong. But that's not the way to bet at way-premature-draft-grading time.

 

[DarrylS]

FWIW Fox Sports gave us a D.. but what do they know.

2011 NFL draft grades for each team - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN

Draft picks: OT Nate Solder (first round), CB Ras-I Dowling (second round), RB Shane Vereen (second round), RB Stevan Ridley (third round), QB Ryan Mallett (third round), OL Marcus Cannon (fifth round), TE Lee Smith (fifth round), LB Markell Carter (sixth round), DB Malcolm Williams (seventh round).

Analysis: Sure, Solder will fill a need, but the Patriots failed to address their poor pass rush at all during the draft. Did they really need another cornerback? All the cornerbacks in the world won’t help unless the pass rush up front is getting to the quarterback.