So how do YOU grade the Patriots draft?

scout said:

Read an article saying next year is loaded with RB's.

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Perhaps, if the ones they have produce and stay healthy, the position of RB is a non-issue?

PF_SU said:

I guess they were looking for a specific DT. Valentine is heavier than those three DTs at 329lbs and seems to be somewhat athletic for his size:

"Valentine is a physically imposing prospect at 6'3 5/8 and 329 lbs. His 5.19 second 40 yard dash is incredible impressive for his size, becoming just the 16th defensive tackle prospect to weigh greater than 325 lbs and run a sub-5.2 over the past decade.

Even more impressive are his explosion and agility scores. His 9'2 broad jump is the best of any 325+ lbs defensive tackle in the past decade, and his 4.59 second shuttle is the second best of the era (trailing only Chiefs stalwart Dontari Poe)."
2016 NFL Draft: Why Did the Patriots Draft DT Vincent Valentine?

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Issue most folks have is his "laziness". Lack of conditioning is essentially "discipline". This translates to not really 100% committed to your profession.


Overall grade: D+

stcjones said:

Ok...no one knows how ANY of these guys turn out....but what is your INTIAL feeling on how BB and Co did withe the draft?!?

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Methinks that the off-season acquisitions/trades prepared the team to only have to focus on a few players in key positions during this year's draft. Ergo, the NEP did not really intend- or have -to perform as well as other teams who drafted higher in every round. Put simply, the NEP acquired a few key players who can help move the markers, and some who can keep the opposing teams from doing so. That is positive. An extra pick- that may be used for trade during the season -is also a positive. An extra QB might also be a trading chip (JimmyG?) might also be viewed as a positive. However, the off-season moves might be teh real news for the upcoming season. The NEP are an improved team.

Brady6 said:

We have invested a lot into the OL in the past 3 drafts.

Bryan Stork
Cameron Fleming
Jon Halapio
Tre Jackson
Shaq Mason
Joe Thuney
Ted Karras
That is a lot of picks dedicated to one unit that still has a lot of unknowns.

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When you use low level picks for a position, you need to make a lot of picks.

Also, the team has been in the process of filling 6 roster spots, 3 starters, 2 backup interior lineman, and backup OT.

- We picked up a cb, which we needed.
- We picked up a dt, which we needed
- We picked up two O-lineman which we needed(hopefully this means good bye to Cannon and Kline)
- We picked up two wr which is a plus.

-I didn't understand the qb pick in the 3rd round but what do I know lol
-I wish we would have picked a rb, but obviously Bill is happy with our group or maybe we can get a f/a.

Overall, I guess in a few years we will know for sure, but at least we addressed some positions that we needed.

zipster9 said:

Issue most folks have is his "laziness". Lack of conditioning is essentially "discipline". This translates to not really 100% committed to your profession.


Overall grade: D+

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He'll either get with the program or be in for a rather rude awakening.....We'll find out early on in training camp if he passes or fails the initial conditioning test....

scott99 said:

C-

Typical Belichick draft.

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Yea, someone else needs to buy the groceries. Then, maybe we'd win some games.

No better than a C.

CB Jones - Gambling on the 'obsessive film study' as an indicator that he will improve, while passing over other larger, higher-rated corners.
OG Thuney - We can hope he is really a tackle, but he says he is a guard, and all his scouting reports say his arms are too short for tackle, he is not great in space, but agile inside. Drafting a guard with the second pick, when they have two rookies who started last season, added a highly athletic reclamation project, and have a center who can play guard is odd. If you watch what he does, there is no trust in Mason and Jackson.
QB Brisset - Needed a QB at some point, if Brady is suspended. This one throws short passes and still really struggles with accuracy.
DT Valentine - Based on stats, physical measurements, and scouting reports, appeared to be a significant reach. Apparently signals a shift from a disruptive penetrating line to more of a pure two-gap approach, as Easley, Hicks, and Chris Jones depart and large bodies accumulated.
WR Mitchell - small, quick, WR with durability concerns - seems to fit.
?? Grugier-Hill - after Guard, Safety is probably the deepest spot on the roster. Unless he really is playing LB at 208 pounds. Interesting draft story here is that CBS Sports had the next four picks online before this one as they scrambled to load a profile.
ILB Roberts - fine Mayo replacement. Should compete for time at LB.
OG Karras - has to be a long-shot to make the team, after Mason, Jackson, Cooper, Kline, Thuney.
WR Lucien - probably Practice Squad.

Major needs: CB, RB, OT.
Addressed CB. Failed to address RB or OT.
Seemed to obstinately avoid RB. Interesting comment from Bill "we cannot control the things we cannot control." Was making player selections something outside his control? He had 11 picks, and made nine. That appears to be fully inside his control.
And one would think this would be the single most attractive outlet for udfa running backs, but did not seem to have a lot of interest.
Lots of decent OT available in this draft, and steadfastly avoided that position as well.

I'll bump it up a grade to a B because of the trade-in to next year in the 4th. They'll need the draft a lot more NEXT year than they needed it this year.

This was a check-the-box year, so meh. Grading overall, there wasn't much to get excited about. They checked the boxes. I don't get the RB disdain from BB this year. Lewis is coming back from an ACL and Blount isn't getting younger. He must really like White and maybe Brown.

I give their off-season a spectacular A, though, and that's without even daring to hope that Jonathan Cooper can come back. Bennett, Washington...yes, please.

If they can lock up DT, MB, and JC, they'll still have a ton of cash next year.

Their OL has a ton of competition for camp. C'mon, Scar, work your magic. They are poised to get there - again.

ashley1992 said:

- We picked up a cb, which we needed.
- We picked up a dt, which we needed
- We picked up two O-lineman which we needed(hopefully this means good bye to Cannon and Kline)
- We picked up two wr which is a plus.

-I didn't understand the qb pick in the 3rd round but what do I know lol
-I wish we would have picked a rb, but obviously Bill is happy with our group or maybe we can get a f/a.

Overall, I guess in a few years we will know for sure, but at least we addressed some positions that we needed.

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Brady is playing 4 more years. They show what JG can do and trade him next year. Brissett will have 3 more rookie years after this year learning the system... Im guessing BB think JG is good but not great to be Brady heir, but good enough to be traded and recoup the pick that we use...

No first round pick defaults this draft to C to start with. Add (or subtract if you so feel) a QB taken too high, another jack-of-all-trades O lineman instead of a true tackle,a slot corner taken first and an overall ignoring of the RB position until free agent signing and my grade is a solid D.

Why does Jones keep getting called a slot corner when he played outside in college and is the same height as Butler?

(Jones will likely play inside as a rookie with Butler /Ryan returning but can replace UFA Ryan after this year).

F, they haven't won squat!

I didn't like the Jones or Brissett pick. Calhoun was still there from MSU. You can never have enough pass rushers. I really like out corner situation already.

patsfan-1982 said:

this was a weak draft class IMO and no first round picks i dont see any of the players they drafted being any more then dept and ST i still think they should have draft a RB i give them a C-

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Cousin, Exactly what you said. This was the 2016 Pat Special Team Draft. I am not as generous*. I have to go with a "D". I see two possible impact players and the rest you could easily get off the street/ I hope I am wrong but that 17%-20% success rate (NFL average) is apparent. If he gets three out of thei clas by 2019, maybe a "C".
If Bill was that disinterested in th9is Draft, the Pats would have been better served to keep all the comps for the Draft class and bundle the picks for a few 2017 high picks.. Here was the clue. Bill picked up 13 FAs and Trades this year. He had no intention of a big Draft because he lost first Rounder anyway.

*Why? Just look at three positions. In order to make this Team you are ging to have to be good. Six of the players had inconstant play and bad tape. There were 4 impact OT's to choose from and the Pats took a "swing tackel" who admitted he is more comfortable on the inside. So he starts out as 3 string Center and 7 string Guard....marvelous!

We have a DT wno's name sound like a Mafia hit mad who was rated a late Draftable pick but in the third round. There were 4 more talented

And you have no running back. Bill said it just did not work out that way but there were 6 talented RBs that we could have Drafted in our position. He passed on too many good bavcks that could help for Special Teams guys.

If you have lost interest Bill, just Trade into 2017 please.

I hope I am wrong on these kids.

DW Toys

Solid B - with room to be an 'A-' if : Cyrus Jones can return punts AND be our slot Corner ..if Mitchell can develop into a consistent threat.. If Valentine can unlock his potential... If Lucien wins a spot on the team...if Thuney and Karas can give out oline some much needed 'umph'...

A lot of IFs.. I really hope Lucien and Mitchell and Foster stick. I feel Thuney will be an asset and Karas has a shot to be first line of depth.

Cyrus Jones .. Will be an interesting story.

Here's the problem as I see it....Blount is pretty close to done I think. The guy was a shadow this past year. Love him. Hope I am wrong and he comes back big this year....but seems like his goose....is cooked.

Don Brown has been an average RB overall his whole career....not going to carry the load himself....may be good in fill in role with another straight up RB....who will that be?

Not Bolden....great ST....not a good consistent RB....it's like counting on slater to fill in a lot as a primary WR....ain't gonna happen...Great ST'er tho...just like Bolden....

Lewis....hope he comes back from very tough injury and can produce like he did before...but that is still obviously a question mark....

White....still stinging over his dropped balls and shoddy running in AFC title game....not a big game player....decent fill in

So yes....is RB still a question mark and area of concern that should have been addressed in draft/FA?!.....YEP!!!!

QUOTE="TommyBrady12, post: 4620644, member: 14566"]Not only that, I just don't see how another RB fits on this roster:

-Donald Brown
-Blount
-Bolden
-Lewis
-White

You would have to cut someone like Bolden or White to make room for another RB.[/QUOTE]

I think our RB Corp will be fine for one more year given that the oline improves

I give it a 5.271, or an overall of 47.44 divided by 9.

I have no idea what those numbers actually mean but if you go by NFL.com Draft #'s that's what you come up with.

It looks to be as usefull a barometer as the undiscernable and utterly unscientific QBR mystery formula.

On that note I give it a B. I think the 9 UDFA's look just as intriguing as the 9 draft picks.

Weakest draft since '08 IMHO.

Urgent said:

Drafting a guard with the second pick, when they have two rookies who started last season, added a highly athletic reclamation project, and have a center who can play guard is odd. If you watch what he does, there is no trust in Mason and Jackson.

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Why this goes over the heads of so many fans is beyond me. The majority have been wrong since day one when they had both of them starting over Kline.

Obviously, we can all see that there is a lot of work to be done with those 2 selections from last year. I think people seem to be high on them in the same way that everyone was like "OMG!! We have the best new rookie receivers" back in 2013.

In other words, guys like Mason and Jackson shouldn't automatically be penciled in for starting jobs, which is most likely why we brought in someone like Cooper and dedicated even more resources to the interior position this year. Hopefully, Scar can sort it out and let the cream rise to the top.