a LB and two CB's by Pick 69

[mgteich]

It's been a long time since I was so excited about a draft. This draft has what we need at the spots where we have picks. I am prepared to be disappointed, but the first three rounds could be awesome for the patriots!

For me, I cannot move my focus beyond linebacker and corner until these needs are taken care of. The reason for that is NOT need. Needs can be met with later picks, free agency or trades. My reason is that the players we need are there.

FIRST
Chris Long, Gholston or Harvey (or even Rivers)
We might need to move up, or not.

SECOND/TOPTHIRD #62 and #69
We could have a move up using our #94 if it hasn't already been used.

Godfrey and King certainly seems doable. Porter might take a minor move. So, two of the three seems very, very possible. Other might put Lee in the mix.

We might consider moving up for Cason, Flowers, Talib or Groves if #94 is enough to make the deal.

I suppose, I'd be OK with Williams at 94, but it seems we should be able to do better with an earlier pick. If #94 is still there, I'd be fine with Williams as our THIRD corner picked. Even if Hobbs and Bryant are locks to make the team; no one else is, and I'm not so sure of Bryant.

 

[JoePats]

I'd like to see 2 CBs and 2 LBs, one being an edge rusher and one an ILB, picked, not including the 6th and 7th round picks.

 

[mgteich]

I'm fine with a 4th-5th prospect at ILB. However, I think that it is a waste of a pick, unless he is a top Ster. Such a player is unlikely to make the squad. We'd rather re-sign Seau.

I'd like to see 2 CBs and 2 LBs, one being an edge rusher and one an ILB, picked, not including the 6th and 7th round picks.

 

[SamBamsFan]

It's been a long time since I was so excited about a draft. This draft has what we need at the spots where we have picks. I am prepared to be disappointed, but the first three rounds could be awesome for the patriots!

For me, I cannot move my focus beyond linebacker and corner until these needs are taken care of. The reason for that is NOT need. Needs can be met with later picks, free agency or trades. My reason is that the players we need are there.

FIRST
Chris Long, Gholston or Harvey (or even Rivers)
We might need to move up, or not.

SECOND/TOPTHIRD #62 and #69
We could have a move up using our #94 if it hasn't already been used.

Godfrey and King certainly seems doable. Porter might take a minor move. So, two of the three seems very, very possible. Other might put Lee in the mix.

We might consider moving up for Cason, Flowers, Talib or Groves if #94 is enough to make the deal.

I suppose, I'd be OK with Williams at 94, but it seems we should be able to do better with an earlier pick. If #94 is still there, I'd be fine with Williams as our THIRD corner picked. Even if Hobbs and Bryant are locks to make the team; no one else is, and I'm not so sure of Bryant.

I would move up for Long. If BB/ Pioli decided to move up for Goulston, I would be all right with it. Right now I'm on the fence. Harvey is a Tampa-2 DE IMO. Rivers is the best ILB in a very average year. He will be overdrafted by someone just because of position scarcity. IMM he should go in the low 20's.

Lot's of talented DB's in the second/ third round. I like many of them. I don't like King, who never has played to his talent levels. Can he be "coached up".. Perhaps. I prefer to draft players when I am more sure of their floor, especially in a year with as much talent as '08 appears to have.

Link for Matrix:
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/valuechart.html

I don't think Gosselin has published his top- 100. I think he has just done his top- 5 by position.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

We absolutely need a playmaker LB witht he first pick. Defense wins Championships.

OLB or bust. There is very little depth behind AD and Vrabel. If Woods was legit he would have played more in SB

 

[SamBamsFan]

We absolutely need a playmaker LB witht he first pick. Defense wins Championships.

OLB or bust. There is very little depth behind AD and Vrabel. If Woods was legit he would have played more in SB

That's just plain silly. If there is no LB of value then we simply draft another position. We can invent a value for a player based on perceived need otherwise we are throwing away the value of the pick. Can we trade down to that value? Maybe.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

That's just plain silly. If there is no LB of value then we simply draft another position. We can invent a value for a player based on perceived need otherwise we are throwing away the value of the pick. Can we trade down to that value? Maybe.

I'm not saying it's gonna be #7, but it better be a first rounder whether trade up or down. If there is a cb with the first rounder I'm gonna flip. You can't expect to get a playmaker in the bottom of the second round. LB can no longer be ingored. If you don't have passrushers you can have any cb and they're gonna struggle to cover for over 5 secs

 

[BelichickFan]

I don't see two CB that early. We've more than replaced Gay with Bryant and added depth with whichever one of the other two signings makes the team. I only see room for one more CB.

 

[mgteich]

If Rivers is an ILB worthy of being picked in the first round, then he will be high on our board. We are one of the teams for whom an ILB is worth much more than to others.

I would move up for Long. If BB/ Pioli decided to move up for Goulston, I would be all right with it. Right now I'm on the fence. Harvey is a Tampa-2 DE IMO. Rivers is the best ILB in a very average year. He will be overdrafted by someone just because of position scarcity. IMM he should go in the low 20's.

Lot's of talented DB's in the second/ third round. I like many of them. I don't like King, who never has played to his talent levels. Can he be "coached up".. Perhaps. I prefer to draft players when I am more sure of their floor, especially in a year with as much talent as '08 appears to have.

Link for Matrix:
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/valuechart.html

I don't think Gosselin has published his top- 100. I think he has just done his top- 5 by position.

 

[patchick]

I don't see two CB that early. We've more than replaced Gay with Bryant and added depth with whichever one of the other two signings makes the team. I only see room for one more CB.

I disagree, BF. Here's the current CB lineup with last contract year:

2008 Antwain Spann
2008 Jason Webster
2008 Fernando Bryant
2008 Tim Mixon
2008 Lewis Sanders
2009 Ellis Hobbs
2010 Mike Richardson

That's only 2 guys under contract after this season -- and how many of the whole group can you really consider locks or even near-locks for a roster spot? Meanwhile we're looking at an absolutely terrific CB draft class. I can definitely see room for two picks.

 

[mgteich]

I agree. How many of this group will make the team? Bryant is a one year patch, who MIGHT play for us longer. THREE draftees could compete for positions. I would not be shocked at all if the 3rd of our draftees beats out every one but Hobbs and Bryant. And yes, I would like to see three CB's in the first three rounds with a 2011 next to their names. Two is fine, but three is better.

2008 Antwain Spann
2008 Jason Webster
2008 Fernando Bryant
2008 Tim Mixon
2008 Lewis Sanders
2009 Ellis Hobbs
2010 Mike Richardson

 

[BelichickFan]

I disagree, BF. Here's the current CB lineup with last contract year . . . Meanwhile we're looking at an absolutely terrific CB draft class. I can definitely see room for two picks.

That's a good point and CB can clearly be good ST players so we could carry extras there at the expense of another position.

Also, I remember a year or so ago reading that Hobbs wasn't thrilled with Boston (don't think it was the Patriots, more the big town or something) and while that could change, and I forget the source, my gut feeling says Hobbs won't be here in 2010.

That would be a serious defensive draft if we took a LB and two DBs by early round 3.

 

[Jimke]

I just hope the Pats don't draft for offense and end up cutting

most of their draft choices.

 

[SamBamsFan]

If Rivers is an ILB worthy of being picked in the first round, then he will be high on our board. We are one of the teams for whom an ILB is worth much more than to others.

I'd rather draft Mayo than Rivers. Rivers would be just another guy in our defense.

 

[sebman2112]

I disagree, BF. Here's the current CB lineup with last contract year:

2008 Antwain Spann
2008 Jason Webster
2008 Fernando Bryant
2008 Tim Mixon
2008 Lewis Sanders
2009 Ellis Hobbs
2010 Mike Richardson

That's only 2 guys under contract after this season -- and how many of the whole group can you really consider locks or even near-locks for a roster spot? Meanwhile we're looking at an absolutely terrific CB draft class. I can definitely see room for two picks.

I think they'll probably draft two CB's, but I would be somewhat surprised if they were both selected within the first 69 picks, especially if the Patriots keep their current picks. It's a deep class with a number of good CB's, so I can understand the interest in getting two that early, but that depth at the position should allow them to grab a pretty good CB later in the third, or in the fourth, as well.

I'm thinking something like one LB and one CB within those first three picks, and an OT, RB, TE, or WR with the other pick.

OT: The Patriots have seemingly shown more interest in CB's this year, than in any recent year I can remember. It's not just the interviews, and private workouts either, as a bunch of them have been coming in for visits, too.

 

[patsfaninpa]

I'd rather draft Mayo than Rivers. Rivers would be just another guy in our defense.

Was driving around yesterday and he was on Kiper's radio show. Has graduated in 3 1/2 years. Sounded like a grounded kid. Asked him how he felt about playing ilb this year after outside earlier in career. He admitted it took him a couple of weeks to get his reads/angles down. Didn't just brag about himself. Visited us a couple of days ago. Mel said he thinks NE will trade down. And, Mayo is a consideration if we fall back into teens.

 

[sebman2112]

I agree. How many of this group will make the team? Bryant is a one year patch, who MIGHT play for us longer. THREE draftees could compete for positions. I would not be shocked at all if the 3rd of our draftees beats out every one but Hobbs and Bryant. And yes, I would like to see three CB's in the first three rounds with a 2011 next to their names. Two is fine, but three is better.

2008 Antwain Spann
2008 Jason Webster
2008 Fernando Bryant
2008 Tim Mixon
2008 Lewis Sanders
2009 Ellis Hobbs
2010 Mike Richardson

Selecting three CB's within the first three rounds would seem asinine to me. The Patriots have other positions to fill, and areas of future need.

 

[BRiZ]

I'm not saying it's gonna be #7, but it better be a first rounder whether trade up or down. If there is a cb with the first rounder I'm gonna flip. You can't expect to get a playmaker in the bottom of the second round. LB can no longer be ingored. If you don't have passrushers you can have any cb and they're gonna struggle to cover for over 5 secs

last time i checked it was the CB's and defenses getting beat in the final plays of the SB on both ends. Brady drove down on the Giants D and scored to Moss, the Giants came back and drove on our D and scored to Plaxico.

We need a corner.

We need Cromartie.

 

[PonyExpress]

That's a good point and CB can clearly be good ST players so we could carry extras there at the expense of another position.

Also, I remember a year or so ago reading that Hobbs wasn't thrilled with Boston (don't think it was the Patriots, more the big town or something) and while that could change, and I forget the source, my gut feeling says Hobbs won't be here in 2010.

That would be a serious defensive draft if we took a LB and two DBs by early round 3.

I believe the source was an iowa paper when Hobbs was visiting his alma mater after the 2006 season. I think he said the people in NE weren't as friendly as he was used to from the midwest and Texas. Frankly, I don't blame him for feeling underappreciated. He's a very hard working dedicated kid who has played with significant injuries, always putting the team first, and playing very well under the circumstances. I would like the Pats to sign him to a long term deal because he is a good #2 cb in the NFL, and the right type of kid for the locker room. I hope he finally stays healthy and shows the fans what he's truly capable of.

 

[PonyExpress]

I believe Dimitroff said when he took over in Atlanta that one of the things he learned from the Pats was to draft for need.

Obviously the Pats have embraced that philosophy in the 1st rd.

But there are longterm needs and short term needs.

Short term needs seem to be cb and youth at ILB. Bryant and Hobson address those to some extent. I found it interesting that BB kept referring to Hiobson as a "young player", which is debatable. But in his mind he may have already addressed "youth at ILB" with that signing.

Long term needs IMO are Left Tackle, DL, TE and OLB.

LT because Light is very underpaid for a "pro bowl" LT. Even though his contract runs through 2010, I have a hard time believing there won't be rumblings from his camp in the near future to revisit his deal. Also Brady has been taking alot of hits. DL because Seymour has 2 years left and an injury history, and Wilfork will demand and receive big bucks from someone; TE because Thomas is an unknown and Watson is entering his 5th season; OLB because of Vrabel's age, and the absence of 4th Q pass rush in the last few playoff losses.

Those long term need positions are occupied by "planet" players, as Parcells described them. "Planet" players are huge, athletic people who are the rarest athletes on the planet. When such players become available, a wise GM snatches them up.

This philosophy seems to have governed all Patriot 1st rd selections other than Maroney and Meriweather.

I don't see the Pats drafting a secondary player in rd 1 two years in a row, especially when they are in ideal position to draft a "planet" player. Otherwise, that would make 3 straight years drafting skill positions, and not trench players.

The planet players who could be available are C. Long, Gholston, Ellis, Clady and (IMO) to a lesser extent Albert or Harvey.

Those players all answer to long term needs, if Albert can actually play LT at an elite level (which I doubt). and if Harvey can play OLB at an elite level (which I doubt).

Obviously most of the posters here have already thought of these things, I'm just gathering my own thoughts on the subject.

I can see the Pats trading for Lito Shepherd on draft day. Was it just coincidence that the Pats targeted Bryant, after he had a good day against them in '06? Shepherd played very well vs Moss in '07, and the Pats no doubt admire him for that.