Admire Bengals Defensive Drafting

[Mack Herron]

Yes, and it was the completely correct decision based on their defensive scheme at the time. If Belichick had a crystal ball and could tell that he'd be switching to a 4-3 in the near future, then Dunlap would have been the better pick.

I'm not buying that BB took an inferior player because he played a position of greater need. This contradicts what he himself has said a thousand times. BB just whiffed on the player.

 

[SunsOutGunsOut]

where was this thread before the game o.p.? I would bet my left pinky that had the Pats won, this thread never sees the light of day ... wow, wow, wow ..

 

[The Boston Patriot]

Michael Johnson
Round: 3 / Pick: 70


Geno Atkins
Round: 4 / Pick: 120


Carlos Dunlap
Round: 2 / Pick: 54


Domata Peko
Round: 4 / Pick: 123




They've put together the best Defensive Line in the NFL with mid-round selections.

Meanwhile we wasted our plethora of 2nd-3rd rounds picks on Ras-I Dowling, Terrance Wheatley, Darius Butler, Ron Brace, Patrick Chung, Tavon Wilson, Kevin O'Connell, Jermaine Cunningham, Taylor Price, Tyrone McKenzie, and Shawn Crable.

We've been great in Rd 1 and do a good job of finding UDFA's, but we have been HORRIBLE in rounds 2-4 in the past 5 years or so.


I really wanted the Pats to pick a depth DT in last years draft. I liked Brandon Thompson and Devon Still. Bengals got both of them. We got Tavon Wilson. Now with Wilfork out, we are going to pay for that.
Another thing we've needed since our OLine got demolished in the 2007 SuperBowl, is developmental prospects at Guard and Center. Other than Marcus Cannon we haven't touched those positions in recent years.

You gotta give it to the Bengals. They've done an amazing job drafting and you can't even say it's because they tanked and got early picks. All their stars on the Dline were mid rounders that everyone else passed on numerous times.

Andy Dalton says hello. If not for the lack of offensive skill position talent on the Pats right now I believe that the Bengals would be an afterthought in your rear view mirror.

Congrats to the Bengals, they beat the Pats, but please, don't blow this way out of proportion to suit another veiled Pats drafting bashing. It also didn't help that the stalwart of our defensive line is gone for the season.

BTW, the Pats only gave up 13 points (one TD) to that well managed drafting team with offensive and defensive juggernauts.

Micheal Johnson was a top of the third round pick and the NFL is littered with good and bad picks in the first and second round and beyond as well as the UDFA market. Before you award the Bengals with the Mel Kiper drafting trophy I suggest you look at their drafting history rather than cherry picking the recent selections that have worked out. Up until the last few years they have been drafting at the top of every round, a clear advantage against the drafting history you are bashing the Pats for.

I've seen bad Pats drafts and believe me, BB's drafting is far from bad. Your hindsight is excellent and why you aren't invited into the draft room is beyond me. I suspect that if the Pats were to have your superb clairvoyance on draft day there would be no stopping them.

 

[Sciz]

I'm not buying that BB took an inferior player because he played a position of greater need. This contradicts what he himself has said a thousand times. BB just whiffed on the player.

It's not a position of bigger need. Dunlap played a position that didn't exist in the old 3-4 defense.

 

[jmt57]

Slightly off from the original topic, but it's interesting to compare the 2007 drafts of the Patriots and Bengals.

2007 is of course the year that many point to how awful the Pats were in drafting (of course not considering that draft picks from that year were used to acquire Wes Welker and Randy Moss). The Pats only came away with one contributor from that draft (Brandon Meriweather); the Bengals were quite similar:

CB Leon Hall - solid starter
RB Kenny Irons - 2nd round pick never played a down in the NFL
DB Marvin White - started 3 games, released
QB Jeff Rowe - inactive 1st year, PS 2nd year, zero NFL playing time
DT Matt Toeaina - training camp cut, never played with Bengals
OG Dan Santucci - 2 games with Bengals, then waived
DB Nedu Ndukwe - played 4 years, two as starting safety



Now obviously Hall turned out to be better than Meriweather, but it should also be noted that Cincinnati was drafting 8-11 spots earlier than the Pats, and Hall was never available for the Patriots to draft.

 

[Oswlek]

where was this thread before the game o.p.? I would bet my left pinky that had the Pats won, this thread never sees the light of day ... wow, wow, wow ..

You mean this thread wasn't posted in the immediate aftermath of Cincy's 17-6 loss to Cleveland? Are you sure? I'm going to have to check the date of the original post again....

 

[JMC00]

It's not a position of bigger need. Dunlap played a position that didn't exist in the old 3-4 defense.

Yep. Entering the 2010 training camp this is what the projected front 7 looked like

Ty Warren-Wilfork-Wright

Ninkovich-Mayo-Guyton-Banta Cain

With the recently drafted Cunningham and Spikes being eased into the LB rotation.