Patriots Select Malcom Brown DT Texas With 32nd Pick

patchick said:

IMO, the other positions where more help was clearly needed: LG and LS. CB and WR were comparable needs, but the top talent at those positions was long gone.

Assuming nobody's interested in a round-1 long snapper, that leaves us with Brown vs. an LG. Your LG options were workmanlike A.J. Cann, light but athletic conversion projects Clemmings and Fisher, or "not a suspect" La'el Collins. Personally, I'd take Brown over any of them.

Click to expand...

CB is the next pick IMO.

This draft is loaded @ WR.

goheels22002 said:

Malcolm Brown is not Wilfork's replacement at his size just yet. Having Branch and Siliga at the nose in 2015 with Easley, Sheard, Chris Jones, Ninkovich and Chandler Jones is a terrific mix of size, speed, and experience.

Malcolm Brown's addition also strengthens the linebacker group as Sheard and Ninkovich will be able to line up at OLB or drop into coverage from the 4-3 when called for.

The defensive fronts of all four AFC East teams are dominant. Look for the division to kick some serious ass outside the division.

Click to expand...

I think that we have kind of moved on from having huge DLs and linebackers, to instead having slightly lighter but faster and more athletic players. So I don't think we looked for our new Wilfork, but for our new type of NT/DT which is lighter and faster and more of a one-gapper (he's still 320, so about Siliga size)

I really don't see Sheard as a 4-3 linebacker. He was at his best as a 4-3 DE and not as good as a 3-4 OLB. So I don't see him moving even further from the line.

Triumph said:

CB is the next pick IMO.

This draft is loaded @ WR.

Click to expand...

The trick is that there are maybe 4 prospects left who could be expected to upgrade the roster at CB, including some significant character risks who may be off the Patriots board. Versus a ton of potential upgrades at WR, RB and OL, and some very tempting talent at DE and S.

Am I the only one amused that the Patriots picked a guy at #32 that isn't a whole lot worse than the guy the Jets took at #6???

Marinlik said:

I think that we have kind of moved on from having huge DLs and linebackers, to instead having slightly lighter but faster and more athletic players. So I don't think we looked for our new Wilfork, but for our new type of NT/DT which is lighter and faster and more of a one-gapper (he's still 320, so about Siliga size)

Click to expand...

Agreed- we have been moving away from the 3-4 as our bread and butter on defense anyway.

Gator Mike said:

Am I the only one amused that the Patriots picked a guy at #32 that isn't a whole lot worse than the guy the Jets took at #6???

Click to expand...

A lot of people think Leonard Williams possesses perennial pro bowl potential. Brown is a good starter but his ceiling isn't as high. But we got the guy at 32 so who cares! I'm stoked!

groundgame said:

How is this for value with the Pat's selection of Brown at #32:

Using ESPN's consensus Top 32 player ratings before the draft: a. 2 teams drafted players at the exact round as their respective player rating; b. 6 teams drafted players outside of the top 32 rating, and that negative value was not rated; c. 13 teams drafted players at a round at which their player was a reach in terms of the player overall rating, for an aggregate loss of -56 value points; d. 10 teams drafted players at a round which found positive ground against the overall player rating, for an aggregate gain of +30 value points; e. The outlier is in Round 1 was the ONE TEAM (New England) which found positive value in their pick for a +13 points.

Click to expand...

That's certainly an interesting analysis. And I love the Brown pick. But I think saying "oh this guy was supposed to go 20 and we got him at 30, what a steal!!" is a little bit naive in a vacuum. In this case, we were lucky because the Colts and other teams boneheadedly decided to ignore DL as a need. However, generally speaking, what speaks to a guy's value more: where Mel Kiper thinks he should be drafted, or where he actually is selected when 32 organizations are looking for their next employee?

I'm more excited that the Patriots and Belichick are excited about this player.

Ben Volin retweeted
Only In Boston ‏@OnlyInBOS 34m34 minutes ago
Vince Wilfork in college vs Malcolm Brown in college. #PatsDraft

groundgame said:

How is this for value with the Pat's selection of Brown at #32:

Using ESPN's consensus Top 32 player ratings before the draft: a. 2 teams drafted players at the exact round as their respective player rating; b. 6 teams drafted players outside of the top 32 rating, and that negative value was not rated; c. 13 teams drafted players at a round at which their player was a reach in terms of the player overall rating, for an aggregate loss of -56 value points; d. 10 teams drafted players at a round which found positive ground against the overall player rating, for an aggregate gain of +30 value points; e. The outlier is in Round 1 was the ONE TEAM (New England) which found positive value in their pick for a +13 points.

Click to expand...

Link it or lose it.

ATippett56 said:

Indy fans were "deflated" with the Indianapolis Colts first round selection.

Click to expand...

Haha yup, we'll have to deal with their "Omg Andrew luck is the best QB in the NFL because LOOK AT HIS STATS!!" while they repeatedly get knocked from the playoffs

It's the Peyton era all over again.. offense, offense, offense... put up stupid offensive numbers in their climate controlled dome and pray that they get home field advantage throughout..

I guess it can be an effective strategy if they have the 1st seed, because they would play in a dome in every playoff game and most likely the Super Bowl as well.. but if they go on the road, especially to a cold winter team like NE, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, NY, Cinci.. they'll get the snot kicked out of them

shmessy said:

Link it or lose it.

Click to expand...

Doug Kyed ‏@DougKyedNESN 4m4 minutes ago
Malcom Brown was selected 14 slots below his composite ranking. Winston, Gordon, Cooper and Gurley all one slot from composite ranking.

VALUE PICKS New England Patriots: Malcom Brown, defensive line, Texas Composite ranking: 18; draft slot: 32

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2015/05/patriots-make-best-value-pick-in-nfl-draft-day-1-giants-lions-reach/

Click to expand...

That's +14 value points in NE's favor with 32nd selection. Most mock drafts boards rated Brown in the Top 20 picks. He himself was told he could be drafted as high as the 7th overall pick, and admitted that he didn't expect to be drafted by the Pats

Like the pick. Area of need and a highly rated talent.

varjao said:

The Saints made 2 questionable picks, the Colts blew their pick and there were another few questionable picks fit wise, but good players. In the end we got great value getting Malcom at #32, I saw a B+ grade for us but I can't see why that was not an A.

Click to expand...

Yeah I cannot believe what the Colts are doing. I guess they don't realize that defense matters too. Idiots!!

patchick said:

The trick is that there are maybe 4 prospects left who could be expected to upgrade the roster at CB, including some significant character risks who may be off the Patriots board. Versus a ton of potential upgrades at WR, RB and OL, and some very tempting talent at DE and S.

Click to expand...

The Pats have been taking more chances with character issues.

Hernandez, Blount and Mallet. Dennard dropped for that very reason.

Triumph said:

CB is the next pick IMO.

This draft is loaded @ WR.

Click to expand...

Eh. Not thrilled with the remaining CBs. This was a very weak year and the first 4 are gone.

Marinlik said:

I think that we have kind of moved on from having huge DLs and linebackers, to instead having slightly lighter but faster and more athletic players. So I don't think we looked for our new Wilfork, but for our new type of NT/DT which is lighter and faster and more of a one-gapper (he's still 320, so about Siliga size)

I really don't see Sheard as a 4-3 linebacker. He was at his best as a 4-3 DE and not as good as a 3-4 OLB. So I don't see him moving even further from the line.

Click to expand...

Good points. Wilfork was an exceptional player at his size and weight, especially in 2014 following the Achilles Heel injury. His ability to take on double teams and still get to a rusher or move the pocket was extraordinary. He very well might have been a once-in-a-generation type player. Malcolm Brown looks to me like a guy who can grow into that role as he gets older and can adjust his game to playing a higher weight. We'll see.

Sheard is awfully small for a 3-4 DE at 6-2, 254. Hightower is 6-2, 265. Maybe I'm thinking about DEs in an old-school way, but it just seems like Sheard could do a lot of damage in a Sam role and take on tight ends in rushing or coverage situations. He'll be working with the best linebacker coach in the business with Belichick. I see him having a lot of versatility in this defense, especially with Malcolm Brown coming on board.

However it plays out, the depth and youth up front is impressive. If the Patriots can add one solid cover corner, this defense is going to be excellent.

goheels22002 said:

Malcolm Brown is not Wilfork's replacement at his size just yet. Having Branch and Siliga at the nose in 2015 with Easley, Sheard, Chris Jones, Ninkovich and Chandler Jones is a terrific mix of size, speed, and experience.

Malcolm Brown's addition also strengthens the linebacker group as Sheard and Ninkovich will be able to line up at OLB or drop into coverage from the 4-3 when called for.

The defensive fronts of all four AFC East teams are dominant. Look for the division to kick some serious ass outside the division.

Click to expand...

While Brown is the de facto replacement for Vince, I don't think Belichcik is really thinking of it as "replacing Vince" - who could move very well (in his prime that is) even carrying more bulk than guys like Brown

But when you add a versitile Brown to a mix of Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich on the outside, along with linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins and Jerod Mayo as well as others, you've got the making for a dynamic front 7 - be it a 3-4 or a 4-3 - and I think Belichick will use them in ways very different than seen in the Vince years, confounding offenses who won't know what hit them

When you look at this "new" team, with more firepower up front, you don't really need to commit as many resources as you did with a Revis led DB corps either

I am enjoying trolling the colts boards as I see comments like this:

- on picking Dorsett:

I like to imagine the Patriots war room literally breaking out into laughter at the pick

It would take a decision as bad as drafting Dorsett to make Belichick laugh...


--I am willing to see the oline this year. They seemed to get going a bit in the playoffs finally. But also I want to see the next picks and see just how crazy our Gm really is.


Its almost like Xmas ....

RhodyPatriot said:

Like the pick. Area of need and a highly rated talent.

Click to expand...

Bill did what I had hoped he would be able to do, go get the rare 300+# athlete in the first round at a position of long-term need. Nice that things fell the way they did. (The fact that he's not moving in mysterious ways this year doesn't even make me nervous. Must be the soothing effect of that extra trophy.)

manxman2601 said:

Because he's a DT. DTs are falling in the first of late.

Click to expand...

Then lets hope this isn't the case this season.