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One of the more interesting aspects of every draft is not only analyzing the players, but what every pick means to the team as a whole. In other words what we can infer from certain picks. What does it say when we choose a 2nd WR (Boyce) when a legitimate pass rusher was there in the 4th? (Okafor) Why another S in round 3?, etc. Studying a BB draft is like trying to decipher the hidden meaning in a Shakespearean sonnet 
1. Jamie Collins – I'm feeling a lot better about this pick, to the point of virtual excitement. This kid is Dion Jordan without the hype. A developmental pick for sure, but a kid with spectacular combine numbers backed up with solid production. He's a kid who can come in an contribute right away in a situational situations and might even star down the road
A while back I suggested that with the improvements we've made to the secondary talent, this defense will have the freedom to become much more aggressive up front, and the more I think about it, the more I see the Collins pick as being a lot more impactful than a more traditional DE. Here's how.
All last year I can't remember a time when we overloaded a side and dropped into coverage with the other Collins is the kind of rusher who can present significant problems to teams in both 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. in 4-3 sets, he can now work in combinations with both Jones and Ninkovich and just with his very presence make both of them more effective
One of the questions about him was can he put his hand in the dirt and be an impact rusher playing DE in a 4-3. I say he can.....when he grows into his body and weighs 265 and that's down the road. But I don't think he has to his rookie year. Why would he when we have an underutilized asset who has the size and position flexibility to fit exactly that 3rd down passing situation that he rarely got to play last season.
I give you Dont'a Hightower. At 270lbs and an explosive burst, I think he would very effective if the Pats were to expand his repertoire to include playing some pass rushing DE in certain packages. This will allow the Pats to use Collins more as a situational pass rusher and perhaps cover LB. So Hightower goes from being a liability in coverage to an asset as a rusher. It lowers Ninko's snap count and makes him more effective over the course of a long season....and ultimaltely addes more depth to the entire front 7. Now Collins can concentrate his rookie year at just playing OLB, both rushing and in coverage.
2. Aaron Dobson - Not exactly on my radar, but my “radar” is limited pretty much to the names that are discussed here. However from what I've gathered so far, he's pretty much everything I hoped for in a rookie WR. He's tall at 6'3, long armed, great hands, attacks the ball, can win individual battles for the ball, and has mid 4.4 speed. Maybe not as explosive as some of the other prospects, but has excellent intangibles to go along with good prior production. Whats not to like for a pick of need late in the 2nd round. None of these WR prospects came without some questions to their game. But at first look, Dobson looks as good as any of them.
3. Logan Ryan – strong physical CB with a mediocre 4.55 forty time, but OUTSTANDING quickness times in the 3 cone and shuttle. These are the stats of a solid zone defender , with quick hips. A lot will depend on how quickly and how well he learns to play press coverage. The bottom line here is we seem to have gotten a solid CB who was drafted pretty much were he was supposed to be.
4. Duran Harmon - We should be be used to this by now. Almost every year BB makes a pick that no one sees coming, but to me this one is especially troubling. Not so much because he was a reach of massive proportions, nor does the fact that we know so little about him. What concerns me is what the pick of a safety that high means.
If we chose, we can infer a lot of things. For one, the Pats are unhappy with Tavon Wilson. Though that's the opposite of what I've heard personally, you cannot avoid the implication. For another, it could mean the Pats have seen enough of Steve Gregory, and if Harmon proves he's worth the pick, and Tavon continues to develop, they can dump his hefty salary in August, or as early as after the OTA's. Or perhaps maybe they've seen enough of Nate Ebner to know that he's never going to be more than a special teamer and they need another guy to develop as a future safety, given that neither AWilson or Gregory are long term solutions at S, who might not be here after this season.
BTW – if you want to feel better about our 3rd round picks. I suggest you go to Patriots.com and listen to their post draft interviews in the audio section. Harmon's interview was very impressive, and Logan's even more so. 2 very solid kids. And the implication I get from the Pats picking a CB early in the 3rd is Dowling better stay healthy this season.
5. Josh Boyce – First I feel the need to apologize to all those people I implied were idiots for hoping the Pats would draft TWO WR's. Clearly I was wrong
On the surface this is an interesting pick. This kid isn't a “big WR” but he's no midget either at 5'11,. 195 lbs, with a 4.3 forty and an OUTSTANDING 3 cone time, excellent strength with 22 reps the BP., and the explosiveness of an 11' BJ.
Still he's not one of those guys that I read much about, but he seems to grow on you. Based on the measurables, you can't hate the pick, but still, I have to wonder about the redundancy. Just how many WR's are the Pats going to keep on this year's roster.
Its hard for me to think its gong to be more than 4 true WR's plus Slater, especially when its almost a lock that they keep 4 TE's Hernandez' hybrid nature makes keeping more than 4 overkill and takes a valuable roster spot from somewhere else. So I don't dislike the pick by any means, I just wonder if they wouldn't have been better served going with Alex Okafor there.
It could mean that by not going with Okafor, the Pats are happier with their edge rushers, now that they added Collins, than we think. That will be good news for Jake Bequette. Or perhaps they already have a deal in place to bring in John Abraham, but as a seasoned vet don't feel the need to bring him in until TC starts or even a week or 2 later. Either way that would explain them not taking a shot a Okafor that deep in the draft.
6. With the Pats not drafting until the 7th round with 3 picks at 20-29, and the draft not yet into the 6th round, I'm not going to wait until its all over to discuss 3 guys who I likely have never heard of and would have nothing of interest to offer.. Suffice it say of those 3 picks, I have every reason to believe that at least ONE of them will end up becoming a significant contributor before the end of his Patriots career. There have been just too many examples to think otherwise.
I look forward to reading other draft breakdowns over the next few weeks. This part is done, let the rest of the FA period continue. There are a lot of very good football players still looking for work and we still have a lot of openings to reach that 90 man limit.
1. Jamie Collins – I'm feeling a lot better about this pick, to the point of virtual excitement. This kid is Dion Jordan without the hype. A developmental pick for sure, but a kid with spectacular combine numbers backed up with solid production. He's a kid who can come in an contribute right away in a situational situations and might even star down the road
A while back I suggested that with the improvements we've made to the secondary talent, this defense will have the freedom to become much more aggressive up front, and the more I think about it, the more I see the Collins pick as being a lot more impactful than a more traditional DE. Here's how.
All last year I can't remember a time when we overloaded a side and dropped into coverage with the other Collins is the kind of rusher who can present significant problems to teams in both 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. in 4-3 sets, he can now work in combinations with both Jones and Ninkovich and just with his very presence make both of them more effective
One of the questions about him was can he put his hand in the dirt and be an impact rusher playing DE in a 4-3. I say he can.....when he grows into his body and weighs 265 and that's down the road. But I don't think he has to his rookie year. Why would he when we have an underutilized asset who has the size and position flexibility to fit exactly that 3rd down passing situation that he rarely got to play last season.
I give you Dont'a Hightower. At 270lbs and an explosive burst, I think he would very effective if the Pats were to expand his repertoire to include playing some pass rushing DE in certain packages. This will allow the Pats to use Collins more as a situational pass rusher and perhaps cover LB. So Hightower goes from being a liability in coverage to an asset as a rusher. It lowers Ninko's snap count and makes him more effective over the course of a long season....and ultimaltely addes more depth to the entire front 7. Now Collins can concentrate his rookie year at just playing OLB, both rushing and in coverage.
2. Aaron Dobson - Not exactly on my radar, but my “radar” is limited pretty much to the names that are discussed here. However from what I've gathered so far, he's pretty much everything I hoped for in a rookie WR. He's tall at 6'3, long armed, great hands, attacks the ball, can win individual battles for the ball, and has mid 4.4 speed. Maybe not as explosive as some of the other prospects, but has excellent intangibles to go along with good prior production. Whats not to like for a pick of need late in the 2nd round. None of these WR prospects came without some questions to their game. But at first look, Dobson looks as good as any of them.
3. Logan Ryan – strong physical CB with a mediocre 4.55 forty time, but OUTSTANDING quickness times in the 3 cone and shuttle. These are the stats of a solid zone defender , with quick hips. A lot will depend on how quickly and how well he learns to play press coverage. The bottom line here is we seem to have gotten a solid CB who was drafted pretty much were he was supposed to be.
4. Duran Harmon - We should be be used to this by now. Almost every year BB makes a pick that no one sees coming, but to me this one is especially troubling. Not so much because he was a reach of massive proportions, nor does the fact that we know so little about him. What concerns me is what the pick of a safety that high means.
If we chose, we can infer a lot of things. For one, the Pats are unhappy with Tavon Wilson. Though that's the opposite of what I've heard personally, you cannot avoid the implication. For another, it could mean the Pats have seen enough of Steve Gregory, and if Harmon proves he's worth the pick, and Tavon continues to develop, they can dump his hefty salary in August, or as early as after the OTA's. Or perhaps maybe they've seen enough of Nate Ebner to know that he's never going to be more than a special teamer and they need another guy to develop as a future safety, given that neither AWilson or Gregory are long term solutions at S, who might not be here after this season.
BTW – if you want to feel better about our 3rd round picks. I suggest you go to Patriots.com and listen to their post draft interviews in the audio section. Harmon's interview was very impressive, and Logan's even more so. 2 very solid kids. And the implication I get from the Pats picking a CB early in the 3rd is Dowling better stay healthy this season.
5. Josh Boyce – First I feel the need to apologize to all those people I implied were idiots for hoping the Pats would draft TWO WR's. Clearly I was wrong
On the surface this is an interesting pick. This kid isn't a “big WR” but he's no midget either at 5'11,. 195 lbs, with a 4.3 forty and an OUTSTANDING 3 cone time, excellent strength with 22 reps the BP., and the explosiveness of an 11' BJ.
Still he's not one of those guys that I read much about, but he seems to grow on you. Based on the measurables, you can't hate the pick, but still, I have to wonder about the redundancy. Just how many WR's are the Pats going to keep on this year's roster.
Its hard for me to think its gong to be more than 4 true WR's plus Slater, especially when its almost a lock that they keep 4 TE's Hernandez' hybrid nature makes keeping more than 4 overkill and takes a valuable roster spot from somewhere else. So I don't dislike the pick by any means, I just wonder if they wouldn't have been better served going with Alex Okafor there.
It could mean that by not going with Okafor, the Pats are happier with their edge rushers, now that they added Collins, than we think. That will be good news for Jake Bequette.
Or perhaps they already have a deal in place to bring in John Abraham, but as a seasoned vet don't feel the need to bring him in until TC starts or even a week or 2 later. Either way that would explain them not taking a shot a Okafor that deep in the draft.6. With the Pats not drafting until the 7th round with 3 picks at 20-29, and the draft not yet into the 6th round, I'm not going to wait until its all over to discuss 3 guys who I likely have never heard of and would have nothing of interest to offer.. Suffice it say of those 3 picks, I have every reason to believe that at least ONE of them will end up becoming a significant contributor before the end of his Patriots career. There have been just too many examples to think otherwise.
I look forward to reading other draft breakdowns over the next few weeks. This part is done, let the rest of the FA period continue. There are a lot of very good football players still looking for work and we still have a lot of openings to reach that 90 man limit.
