patsox23
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
- Messages
- 7,430
- Reaction score
- 60
During the BB/Pioli era - Garrett Mills.
I love this guy, but it really is starting to look like they completely BLEW this draft pick. No big deal, they all make mistakes, there are others (2nd rounders with great raw tools, who didn't make it, etc...) and the Patriots make, and will make, far fewer errors than most organizations. Having said that...
I always felt like the selection of Mills was a hugely great sign of his no-brainer talent because:
1) we had already, right before, taken a TE in Dave Thomas so this wasn't as much a "need" - it seemed very much a luxury pick
2) an early Day Two pick, the draft slot of which was EXTREMELY valuable and trade-able. The Pats chose NOT to trade the pick and stuck with the slot and waited to take Mills. They had all night to re-evaluate what the draft board had done, and they STILL didn't deal the pick. And they STILL took a TE after they had just taken one.
To me, these facts suggest that BB/Pioli felt VERY sure of Mills as a prospect. They saw a versatile player, with a ton of production, and football was important to him. A pretty big whiff, all things considered.
Again, no big deal - it's a 4th rounder, we'll be fine. But it does go to show just HOW inexact a science the NFL draft is, even for those whose evaluation skills are elite.
I love this guy, but it really is starting to look like they completely BLEW this draft pick. No big deal, they all make mistakes, there are others (2nd rounders with great raw tools, who didn't make it, etc...) and the Patriots make, and will make, far fewer errors than most organizations. Having said that...
I always felt like the selection of Mills was a hugely great sign of his no-brainer talent because:
1) we had already, right before, taken a TE in Dave Thomas so this wasn't as much a "need" - it seemed very much a luxury pick
2) an early Day Two pick, the draft slot of which was EXTREMELY valuable and trade-able. The Pats chose NOT to trade the pick and stuck with the slot and waited to take Mills. They had all night to re-evaluate what the draft board had done, and they STILL didn't deal the pick. And they STILL took a TE after they had just taken one.
To me, these facts suggest that BB/Pioli felt VERY sure of Mills as a prospect. They saw a versatile player, with a ton of production, and football was important to him. A pretty big whiff, all things considered.
Again, no big deal - it's a 4th rounder, we'll be fine. But it does go to show just HOW inexact a science the NFL draft is, even for those whose evaluation skills are elite.