Grading The 2003 Draft Grades - 3 Years Later

[IcyPatriot]

Time to grade the grades given to the 2003 draft class as their 3rd regular season wraps up.

Great post by our very own "MIGUEL"

http://www.nflfans.com/patriotstalk...sg&forum=100&thread_id=3523&mesg_id=3523&page=

PETE PRISCO: "Reach: Fourth-round pick Asante Samuel, a cornerback from Central Florida, has some skills, but he went too high."

 

[unoriginal]

Let's give Pete some credit here:

Worst pick: Temple defensive tackle Dan Klecko, the team's fourth-round pick, is an effort player but undersized. He might make the team, but they had other needs to address.

 

[3 to be 4]

this was a GREAT draft. Not only for the players drafted like Warren,Wilson,Samuel,Koppen,Banta-Cain who are playing now and players like Bethel Johnson and Dan Klecko who helped them to win a SB, but dont forget the trades that day. Trading the #19 to the Ravens (Boller) that got them the #2 (Wilson) and Vince Wilfork in 2004. And the Bledsoe trade that got them the #14 to get Warren.
they basically traded Bledsoe and Boller for Warren,Wilson, and Wilfork!

 

[TeamPats]

Outside of Brady in the 6th, I think Koppen in the 5th is the best pick ever made by BB on the Pats. He is one of the mosy underrated Pats and is an ancho in the center of that offense.

 

[BelichickFan]

That's a hell of a draft. But as good as Samuel, Koppen, Tully have been, that draft made our defense with Warren and the trade into the next year which got us Wilfork. Wow, what a draft.

 

[DarrylS]

We need this type of an "impact" draft in '07, the positions will be different, LB, CB and Safety.

 

[captain stone]

We need this type of an "impact" draft in '07, the positions will be different, LB, CB and Safety.

Abso-effin-lutely. Whatever magic the FO had in '03 deserted them in '04. The '07 draft is the Pats' best (last?) chance to keep this run going.

FWIW, these were my thoughts at the time, on draft weekend '03:

Ty Warren - good move, though I would have been ok with OL Eric Steinbach, then DL Rien Long in the 4th round.

Eugene Wilson - good move, even at the cost of their 3rd rounder. Too bad that he's had to play FS, instead the more important position of CB.

Bethel Johnson - bad move. I wanted the Pats to take Kelley Washington, Anquan Boldin or Tyrone Calico. And trading one of their 4th rounders simply to move up 5 spots, was just ******ed.

Dan Klecko - taken 2 rounds too early. I wanted them to take RT Tony Pashos or FS Terrence Holt. If they hadn't foolishly given away one of the 4th rounders for BJ, they could have had both.

Asante Samuel - good pick, though I would have been ok with CB Kevin Garrett, whom I had rated higher than Asante.

Dan Koppen - great value, then and now.

Kliff Kingsbury - here's where I would have taken Klecko, with the intention of teaching him ILB, given the Pats' move to 3-4. If he were gone, I would have taken ILB Clifton Smith or ILB Tony Gilbert.

Spencer Nead - there was no positional need for this pick. I wanted the Pats to take RB/FB Cecil Sapp, esp. since Marc Edwards signed with the Bears and '02 7th-rounder Antoine Womack washed out.

TBC - good value.

Ethan Kelly - a UDFA talent. The best available, at any position, was OL Torrin Tucker. Taking him would have offered terrific value at a need position.

Once again, the '07 draft needs to more closely resemble the '03 draft than the '04 disaster. This is a huge opportunity that must not be wasted.

 

[patsox23]

I think often about that trading up for BJ instead of drafting Boldin move. Bummer.

 

[BelichickFan]

than the '04 disaster.

Admittedly we have nothing to show for '04 after the first round but getting Wilfork and Watson in one draft is hardly a disaster.