Instant Reaction: Your Patriots 2023 Draft Grade

[Ivan]

Some of these teams were using the PFT mock draft machine app to select players. Look at this:

Draft picks: DT Jalen Carter, EDGE Nolan Smith, OT Tyler Steen, S Sydney Brown. CB Kelee Ringo, QB Tanner McKee, DT Moro Ojomo

Draft picks: QB Anthony Richardson, CB Julius Brents, WR Josh Downs, OT Blake Freeland, DT Adetomiwa Adebawore, CB Darius Rush, S Daniel Scott, TE Will Mallory, RB Evan Hull, LB Titus Leo, CB Jaylon Jones, OT Jake Witt

Draft picks: OT Broderick Jones, CB Joey Porter Jr., DT Keeanu Benton,TE Darnell Washington, LB Nick Herbig, CB Cory Trice, G/OT Spencer Anderson

These drafts are straight down the line PFT ranked best player available at the pick.

I'm not saying the drafts are bad or mistakes, but I am saying they impress the basement-mock-in-your-underwear "analysts."

Agree completely. Fans judge how good a draft is based upon how closely it resembles the consensus mocks. Most don’t go beyond the most obvious current needs, and they ignore, or don’t understand, that contract status, impending retirements, depth, and the make-up of the different special teams units factor into the equation.

 

[Ivan]

Rhyland was not the best one. Moody is. I bet they wanted Moody and panicked when Moody went early and reacted by trading up for 2nd best kicker

Yes Sam, that’s Belichick, panicked about a kicker getting drafted.

 

[50-yard-line]

Grades might be higher if we traded up for Boutte in the 4th and drafted the kicker in the 6th.

Yup, you see this every year, which shows how dumb life can be.

 

[50-yard-line]

Sounds like a special case effect of Dunning Kruger Syndrome.

Are you saying Dunning-Kruger for the fans/mock draft guys, or for Brad Holmes?
I think he's spot on.

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

Yes Sam, that’s Belichick, panicked about a kicker getting drafted.

probably panic was not the right word..."reacted" is probably more accurate.

 

[*ChungFu*]

Devante Parker, Juju Smith, Gisekey, Bourne. are you scared.

Should I be? I'd love to play with or against them. I'd get donserated, but I wouldn't be scared.

 

[Ivan]

Should I be? I'd love to play with or against them. I'd get donserated, but I wouldn't be scared.

It’s actually a better unit than a good number of those Brady had to play with in NE, unfortunately Iones isn’t Brady, but he is going to have to step way up this year and make the most of what he has to work with.

 

[Family]

By definition, these guys all were first rounders.

In addition, there are guys who suck like Wynn last year who get the option because of the benefit of the doubt at the time.

 

[duc359]

Hahahahha. Felger and his two sidekicks just said they liked Keion SMITH at the 2nd round. Like we should take those fools seriously in the first place.

 

[n6249c]

Are you saying Dunning-Kruger for the fans/mock draft guys, or for Brad Holmes?
I think he's spot on.

Fans/mock draft guys

 

[Ivan]

In addition, there are guys who suck like Wynn last year who get the option because of the benefit of the doubt at the time.

This is a great metric to apply retroactively.

 

[captain stone]

This felt like a Jekyll and Hyde draft. Some parts felt really good, and others felt really bad.

Here's my round by round evaluation.

1st Round: A. CB Christian Gonzalez was a no-brainer selection who was slated as a top 10 pick and has elite athleticism and size at a position of need.

2nd Round: B. Edge Keion White. He rushes the passer and he has excellent athleticism for his size at 6'5 285 lbs. At worse he probably turns into a solid rotation player for us who can contribute minutes along the DL.

3rd Round: D. S/LB Marte Mapu. This is where the draft started going off the rails. Instead of addressing offense and skill positions, BB drafts a pet project 'big nickel' tweener player. Maybe he'll turn out to be the next Kyle Dugger, but we already have Kyle Dugger. It would have made a lot more sense to pivot to offense and trade up for the best tackle or WR prospect but BB thumbed his nose at Mac Jones and continued to take only defensive players over the first two days.

4th Round: F. This round was Jekyll turning into Hyde. BB reached 3x for a C, G, and K. Even worse he expended two draft picks to move up for the kicker when we have a solid veteran K, Nick Folk who made 85% of his kicks last season, already in place. This was a real feels bad round of wasted opportunities.

5th Round: C. Patriots take another IOL with guard Antonio Mafi. IOL might be their most stacked position now. Did we really need another pick here?

6th Round: A. Patriots finally, finally address the elephant in the room and go for two Wide Receivers in Keyshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, they also land a punter with a big leg in Bryce Baringer. Ameer Speed is purely a special teamer but at this point he's just gravy.

7th Round: B. Patriots take a flier on a guy who can jump out the gym in 6'2 205 lb CB prospect Isaiah Bolden who clocked a 4.31 hand timed 40. Maybe he won't pan out, but his elite athleticism gives him a chance if he ever does.

Overall Grade: B-. Even though the Patriots failed really hard in rounds 3-5, they made up for it with a strong start, and some intriguing picks in the 6th round onwards.

As for Mac Jones, he was probably feeling like he was on life support until round 6 happened. Again it was a Jekyll and Hyde draft, but undeniably the Patriots probably got a lot stronger on defense, whereas the offense is a TBD. If Douglas or Boutte pan out, that will be a huge part of why the Patriots can improve as an offense. All the IOL picks were meh or reaches. We definitely reached for the kicker. Still no potential starter at tackle obtained in this draft class. No tight ends to apprentice behind Hunter Henry and Geisiki either who are both on 1 year deals.

But that's just my grade. Overall this draft felt like a roller coaster ride, but overall it gets the job done.
It just doesn't really improve our team in key need positions like OT, TE, starting WR or it's really hoping that some of the late round fliers at WR might pan out.

That's my 2 cents, but what's your draft grade?

The first two picks prevented me from giving this a RLKAGM2.

And even the first pick was flawed because the trade to acquire him was a gutless Fail. #80 was MUCH closer to the value of a 14-17 swap than #120 ever was; and yet...

 

[duc359]

The first two picks prevented me from giving this a RLKAGM2.

And even the first pick was flawed because the trade to acquire him was a gutless Fail. #80 was MUCH closer to the value of a 14-17 swap than #120 ever was; and yet...

I thought so too. One calc agreed with you, the other close to the actual pick. But gutless? Umm. OK.

 

[Toofy]

The more I look at the draft, I think it fits our needs well. Pretty good replacements. If 2 of 3 IOL pan out amongst mafi, sidy and Andrews that alone makes this a great draft. Besides we have kicker and punter and one of 2 wide receivers who looks like panning out . And this is excluding the top 2 drafts . How can we be mad at this. Yes they are not heralded players by mocks. But on tape and potential they look to be one of the best fitsm the very fact that Douglas is zay flowers lite makes it great and Boutte with a chip in shoulder could be our answer to wr 1. If we killed this draft we are set for the next 5 years irrespective of the QB in center .

 

[patfanken]

While any "grading" of the draft at his early stage is probably as useless an exercise as you can do (my knee jerk reaction was "meh"); The more I look at this draft the better I'm liking it. Not necessarily saying it was "great", but better than I initially thought.

Right now it looks the the Pats are going to have at a MINIMUM four draft picks either starting or in a regular rotation. (the 2 kickers, White and Gonzales) and I wouldn't be surprised if Mapu become the 5th. When you get 4 or 5 rookies having an immediate impact as starters or rotational players, that would be considered a GREAT draft. That being said, for it to be a truly great draft, those players have be more than one year wonders, and one of two of those taken late develop in years 2 and 3. Then it's a great haul.

Like most of you, I had other players on my wish list when they took the kickers, but if both end up getting the jobs and producing, it will be an immediate long term fix at positions we need (less so for FG's) Remember BB has had a history of drafting kickers and punters in the past. Guys like Gotkowski and Bailey turned out to be VERY good picks

But who know Gonzales might be a bust and Bolden becomes an all pro. You just never can tell.

 

[State]

Those who forget the past, are doomed to repeat it.……..see Tebucky Jones…..1998 draft, Rd 1, pick 22…..6’2”, 218 lbs….played DB, FS, and SS and was a JAG on all of them. Hated seeing him in coverage. Good on ST’s though.

Tebucky was the original Marte Mapu. Never lived up to his draft position….not even close. Bill hasn’t changed his idea on finding that magic bullet on defense who has multiple uses and is good on all of them, not a JAG on all of them. Hard to do. Tebucky couldn’t do it.

Maybe Mapu ends up better than Tebucky….I don’t know. Bill drafted the same guy again. Bill is playing Ahab and chasing that medium sized white whale. I am hoping for the best, but expecting a rerun of Tebucky Jones.

Wow. That’s a connection worth contemplating.

One thing about Belichick is his obsession about getting a guy like Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed. So he’s often drafting guys like Glass IR Dowling or Joeslow Williams.

This year it’s Marty McPoo. If he’s a weakside linebacker against the Chiefs, RG Trey Smith will overwhelm him.

It’s an obsession, really. Like Ahab and the White Whale.

Any one else read Moby ****?

 

[*ChungFu*]

Wow. That’s a connection worth contemplating.

One thing about Belichick is his obsession about getting a guy like Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed. So he’s often drafting guys like Glass IR Dowling or Joeslow Williams.

This year it’s Marty McPoo. If he’s a weakside linebacker against the Chiefs, RG Trey Smith will overwhelm him.

It’s an obsession, really. Like Ahab and the White Whale.

Any one else read Moby ****?

Tebucky was a Pete Carroll pick slotted for press corner, but carry on.

 

[rochrist]

Tebucky was a Pete Carroll pick slotted for press corner, but carry on.

And he was never a LB.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Tebucky Jones was a bizarre pick by Grier who took Chris Canty in the first round one year prior.

Jones just couldn't move well enough to play CB and had one decent year at FS. I can't remember which poster showed it, but Whigham was cut so Tebucky Jones wouldn't have anyone looking over his shoulder in 2001. Very unlike Bill to do something like that.

What is this being he was the original Mapu? Lol.

 

[State]

B. Speed. Name fits the 40. Not a lot of production but hopefully he does well in camp and develops a role.

Probably a wasted pick. We Spartan fans are shocked he was even drafted. Tall and fast. Sure. But can’t you get a halfway decent football player who does ST?