based on many of the threads between this board and the main board, the pats will likely pass on drafting in the 1st round this year.....
no RB worth a 1st round pick, and if you do use a 1st rounder on an RB, you will never win the SB
OL is not that much of a priority
OLB won't happen because it never has
high WR picks are all prima donnas
DL nobody fits the scheme
so I guess its either skip those picks altogether, or maybe use one on a long snapper, and use the other on a wildcat QB
It is funny that everyone is so varied on their opinions, but that is typical in the NFL, with so many positions and complicated schemes.
OL- I wouldn't be surprised if the Pats take an OL early on, as it is a priority, but I do wonder how much talent difference separates a third-round pick from a top-20, and the Pats have picked up a lot of talent in the mid to late rounds in the draft.
OLB- I wrote a long thread detailing why I don't think they'll use an early pick at this position. I believe they see it as too hard to predict, although I'm sure they believe a few players would have a low bust value; the problem is these guys are usually gone very early.
RB- I'm just not sure how many RBs have a first-round grade right now, but I don't think this would be a bad pick. The Pats have had a truly great running game just once under Brady (with Dillon.) Most of the time, they have a solid, but not spectacular ground attack that looks better because defenses respect TB.
WR- I pray that one of the top 2 falls to us, but I think it's unlikely that Jones or Green last to #17. After that, it seems like a pretty big dropoff in talent; perhaps there will be a solid player at #33.
DL- I really think this the major need and a very deep position. The Pats have like eight DLman, and only one of them is elite. Won't cut it in a 3-4. Not sure where Warren stands, or if he can stand, but regardless, I'd like to see them pony up some picks for some awesome players here.
Don't forget about the secondary. The Pats have never really had two great CBs on the field under Belichick, and they now have several years to make that happen. I would love to see them grab another player in the ballpark of McCourty. Bodden may or may not recover fully from his injury, but it's good to stock some depth for the future and have another good nickelback in there.
Also, this may seem crazy, but Crumpler will probably be gone next year. With Hernandez as more of a WR, that will leave just one solid blocking tight end. Perhaps we won't take one early on, but I wouldn't be shocked to see us carry four TEs next year, as we've fallen in love with 2-TE sets.
