BRiZ
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
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http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/reviews/reviews/newenglandpatriots.html
Scott Wright
President, NFL Draft Countdown
Despite losing their own first round pick as a result of the "Spygate" incident the Patriots still wound up selecting in the Top 10 overall thanks to a Draft Day trade with San Francisco last year. After coming within minutes of an undefeated season that is a classic case of the rich getting richer! Despite that dominant 2007 season the Patriots, like most teams, still had their fair share of needs and if nothing else they had to use this draft to get younger and add depth, especially at linebacker and cornerback. Will this class be the foundation for future success or will age and free agency finally catch up with this New England dynasty?
After trading down from #7 to #10 the Patriots chose to use their top pick on Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo, which came as a bit of a surprise. There is no question that New England was looking for help at linebacker but most of the speculation centered around Vernon Gholston and Keith Rivers, with Mayo's name rarely if ever even coming up in the pre-draft rumblings. While some may have considered Mayo to be a reach in the Top 10 his stock had been on the rise in the month leading up to the draft and it's unlikely he would have made it out of the Top 15 so it's hard to fault the Pats for taking him where they did, especially since they had already traded down. Mayo is a fast, athletic 'backer with great intangibles and while he has experience both in the middle and outside he will line up inside with New England. Tedy Bruschi is going to hang up his cleats any year now and Junior Seau's return is still very much up in the air so Mayo will have a chance to compete for a starting job as a rookie and even if he does begin his career as a backup there is no doubt that he is being viewed as the future leader of that defense.
After being linked to guys like Leodis McKelvin and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in round one the Patriots opted to wait until round two to address their need at cornerback with Colorado's Terrence Wheatley. After losing both Asante Samuel and Randall Gay in free agency corner was a major concern for New England and arguably their greatest need so from that perspective this was a great pick. However, I was probably higher on Wheatley than most and even I thought he was a bit of a reach in round two. With that said Wheatley is a good player and while he may not have the ideal size you look for he plays big and is also a ballhawk in the secondary. Wheatley may never be a starter in the NFL but he can be a terrific nickel guy and he could be viewed as Gay's replacement in that role. With the first of two third round picks the Patriots selected Michigan outside linebacker Shawn Crable, who should be a perfect fit for their 3-4 scheme. A tall, rangy linebacker at 6-5 and 245 lbs. Crable is a great athlete with above average speed and he simply knows how to make plays in the backfield, which was evidenced by his 28.5 TFL and 7.5 sacks as a senior. Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas are the starters but depth was a problem even before Rosey Colvin was cut so Crable will help rectify that problem while also working as a situational pass rusher.
Late in round three New England shocked everyone when they chose San Diego St. quarterback Kevin O'Connell, even though they already had someone by the name of Tom Brady under center. He may not have been a high-profile prospect but O'Connell was quietly generating a lot of buzz in the scouting community as the draft neared and was being viewed as one of the top developmental signal callers available. At 6-5 and 225 lbs. O'Connell certainly has the size you look for but he's also a very good athlete with excellent speed (4.61) and was a four-year starter with the Aztecs. O'Connell is still a work in progress and will begin his pro career third on the depth chart but with Matt Cassel falling out of favor and nearing free agency he will likely be groomed to take over the backup job, perhaps as soon as 2009. In round four the Patriots brought in some more help at cornerback when they chose Jonathan Wilhite of Auburn. A 3-year starter, Wilhite is similar to Terrence Wheatley in that he is on the small side but very quick, fast and athletic. Wilhite profiles as more of a nickel or dime type down the road but as a rookie he will be stuck battling for playing time as the #5 or #6 corner on the depth chart.
In round five the Pats surprised everyone when they reached for UCLA wide receiver Matt Slater, even trading up to land him. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Jackie, Slater's name had emerged on the radar late in the process but most teams were looking at him as a seventh rounder or undrafted free agent whose greatest impact would come on special teams. At best Slater will compete for the #5 or #6 wideout job in New England and while he will see action special teams this was still one of the '08 Draft's most questionable decisions. With their final pick in round six the Patriots added one more linebacker, this time opting for Bo Ruud of Nebraska. Another prospect with good bloodlines, Ruud's brother Barrett is a starting outside linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. An outside linebacker in college, Rudd will move inside with the Pats where he will battle for a backup job. Normally Ruud would be considered a long-shot to make a roster but considering his intangibles and New England's lack of depth at the position he just might have a better chance that you'd think.
As always New England made some unorthodox decisions on Draft Day but with their track record you almost hate to question them at this point. You can certainly make the case that they didn't get proper value with all of their picks but the Pats have never been concerned about the outside perception of "value", instead relying on their own board and evaluations of how a prospect will fit in with their team, both on and off the field. At the end of the day they accomplished their goal of stocking up at both linebacker and cornerback and while this class may be lacking when it comes to star potential most of their selections should make an immediate impact, albeit in supporting roles. This crop of rookies should help offset most of New England's key offseason losses (Asante Samuel, Junior Seau, Randall Gay) and there is really no reason to think they won't once again be one of the league's elite teams in 2008.
GRADE: B-
Scott Wright
President, NFL Draft Countdown
Despite losing their own first round pick as a result of the "Spygate" incident the Patriots still wound up selecting in the Top 10 overall thanks to a Draft Day trade with San Francisco last year. After coming within minutes of an undefeated season that is a classic case of the rich getting richer! Despite that dominant 2007 season the Patriots, like most teams, still had their fair share of needs and if nothing else they had to use this draft to get younger and add depth, especially at linebacker and cornerback. Will this class be the foundation for future success or will age and free agency finally catch up with this New England dynasty?
After trading down from #7 to #10 the Patriots chose to use their top pick on Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo, which came as a bit of a surprise. There is no question that New England was looking for help at linebacker but most of the speculation centered around Vernon Gholston and Keith Rivers, with Mayo's name rarely if ever even coming up in the pre-draft rumblings. While some may have considered Mayo to be a reach in the Top 10 his stock had been on the rise in the month leading up to the draft and it's unlikely he would have made it out of the Top 15 so it's hard to fault the Pats for taking him where they did, especially since they had already traded down. Mayo is a fast, athletic 'backer with great intangibles and while he has experience both in the middle and outside he will line up inside with New England. Tedy Bruschi is going to hang up his cleats any year now and Junior Seau's return is still very much up in the air so Mayo will have a chance to compete for a starting job as a rookie and even if he does begin his career as a backup there is no doubt that he is being viewed as the future leader of that defense.
After being linked to guys like Leodis McKelvin and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in round one the Patriots opted to wait until round two to address their need at cornerback with Colorado's Terrence Wheatley. After losing both Asante Samuel and Randall Gay in free agency corner was a major concern for New England and arguably their greatest need so from that perspective this was a great pick. However, I was probably higher on Wheatley than most and even I thought he was a bit of a reach in round two. With that said Wheatley is a good player and while he may not have the ideal size you look for he plays big and is also a ballhawk in the secondary. Wheatley may never be a starter in the NFL but he can be a terrific nickel guy and he could be viewed as Gay's replacement in that role. With the first of two third round picks the Patriots selected Michigan outside linebacker Shawn Crable, who should be a perfect fit for their 3-4 scheme. A tall, rangy linebacker at 6-5 and 245 lbs. Crable is a great athlete with above average speed and he simply knows how to make plays in the backfield, which was evidenced by his 28.5 TFL and 7.5 sacks as a senior. Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas are the starters but depth was a problem even before Rosey Colvin was cut so Crable will help rectify that problem while also working as a situational pass rusher.
Late in round three New England shocked everyone when they chose San Diego St. quarterback Kevin O'Connell, even though they already had someone by the name of Tom Brady under center. He may not have been a high-profile prospect but O'Connell was quietly generating a lot of buzz in the scouting community as the draft neared and was being viewed as one of the top developmental signal callers available. At 6-5 and 225 lbs. O'Connell certainly has the size you look for but he's also a very good athlete with excellent speed (4.61) and was a four-year starter with the Aztecs. O'Connell is still a work in progress and will begin his pro career third on the depth chart but with Matt Cassel falling out of favor and nearing free agency he will likely be groomed to take over the backup job, perhaps as soon as 2009. In round four the Patriots brought in some more help at cornerback when they chose Jonathan Wilhite of Auburn. A 3-year starter, Wilhite is similar to Terrence Wheatley in that he is on the small side but very quick, fast and athletic. Wilhite profiles as more of a nickel or dime type down the road but as a rookie he will be stuck battling for playing time as the #5 or #6 corner on the depth chart.
In round five the Pats surprised everyone when they reached for UCLA wide receiver Matt Slater, even trading up to land him. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Jackie, Slater's name had emerged on the radar late in the process but most teams were looking at him as a seventh rounder or undrafted free agent whose greatest impact would come on special teams. At best Slater will compete for the #5 or #6 wideout job in New England and while he will see action special teams this was still one of the '08 Draft's most questionable decisions. With their final pick in round six the Patriots added one more linebacker, this time opting for Bo Ruud of Nebraska. Another prospect with good bloodlines, Ruud's brother Barrett is a starting outside linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. An outside linebacker in college, Rudd will move inside with the Pats where he will battle for a backup job. Normally Ruud would be considered a long-shot to make a roster but considering his intangibles and New England's lack of depth at the position he just might have a better chance that you'd think.
As always New England made some unorthodox decisions on Draft Day but with their track record you almost hate to question them at this point. You can certainly make the case that they didn't get proper value with all of their picks but the Pats have never been concerned about the outside perception of "value", instead relying on their own board and evaluations of how a prospect will fit in with their team, both on and off the field. At the end of the day they accomplished their goal of stocking up at both linebacker and cornerback and while this class may be lacking when it comes to star potential most of their selections should make an immediate impact, albeit in supporting roles. This crop of rookies should help offset most of New England's key offseason losses (Asante Samuel, Junior Seau, Randall Gay) and there is really no reason to think they won't once again be one of the league's elite teams in 2008.
GRADE: B-
