Trying to do an updated short board, after free agency and the loss of Revis and Browner threw everything into turmoil.
I think that Patchick's basic formula for determining value is a good one: balancing
positional value (a scarce, highly valued, expensive position leaguewide) with
draft value (the talent likely to be available when they pick is worthy, and a significant cut above the talent likely to be available later) with
roster value (given the current roster makeup, a position where a quality addition should represent a high-impact upgrade over the next couple of seasons).
I'm trying to organize this along rough guidelines suggested by Chris Price's article, which suggests that the Pats don't rank players by round:
http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports...n-most/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
As a very rough first pass, I'd try for something like this (ignoring players who seem like a lock to go top 15):
Tier 1: (elite prospects)
1. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia. 6'1" 222#.* (Injured)
2. Marcus Peters, CB, Washington.* 6' 199#. (* Pending character evaluation)
Tier 2: (excellent fits with short-term starting/contributing in a major role and long-term Pro Bowl potential)
3. TJ Clemmings, OL, Pittsburgh. 6'5" 305#.
4. Byron Jones, CB, UConn. 6'1" 199#.
5. Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest. 6' 187#.
6. Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa. 6'5" 320#.
7. Dante Fowler, EDGE, Florida. 6'2" 262#.
8. Cam Erving, OL, Florida St. 6'5" 313#.
Tier 3: (excellent fits with short-term contributing in a specific role and long term starting potential, with potential Pro Bowl upside)
9. Jalen Collins, CB, LSU.* 6'2" 202#. (Injured)
10. Marcus Hardison, DL, Arizona St. 6'3" 307#.
11. Ali Marpet, OL, Hobart. 6'4" 307#.
12. Jake Fisher, OL, Oregon. 6'6" 304#.
13. Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida St. 6'4" 336#.
14. Eric Rowe, CB, Utah. 6'1" 205#.
15. Bud Dupree, EDGE, Kentucky. 6'4" 269#.
16. Owamagbe Odighizuwa, EDGE, UCLA.
17. La'el Collins, OL, LSU. 6'5" 304#.
18. Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas. 6'2" 319#.
19. Bernardrick McKinney, LB/EDGE, Mississippi St. 6'5" 249#.
20. Shaq Thompson, LB/S, Washington. 6'1" 232#.
21. PJ Williams, CB, Florida St. 6' 200#.
22. Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana. 5'11" 210#.
Tier 4: (moderate fits with short-term contributing in a specific role and long term starting potential, with upside)
23. Eric Kendricks, Off-LOS LB, UCLA. 6' 230#.
24. Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise St. 6' 220#.
25. David Johnson, RB, Iowa St. 6' 224#.
26. DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech.* 6'2" 222#. (* Injured, likely PUP/IR for 2015)
27. DJ Humphries, OL, Florida. 6'5" 305#.
28. Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M.* 6'5" 305. (*Injured, likely PUP/IR for 2015)
29. Donovan Smith, OL, Penn St. 6'6" 339#.
Tier 5: (moderate fits with short-term contributing in a specific role and long term starting potential)
30. Danny Shelton, DT, Washington. 6'2" 334#.
31. Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma. 6'5" 329#.
32. Carl Davis, DT, Iowa. 6'5" 320#.
33. Danielle Hunter, EDGE, LSU. 6'6" 240#.
34. AJ Cann, OG, South Carolina. 6'3" 311#.
35. Arik Armstead, DT/DE, Oregon. 6'7" 292#.
36. Davis Tull, EDGE, Tennessee-Chattanooga.* 6'2" 246#. (* Injured)
Tier 6: (prospects with solid backup/rotational and long term starting potential)
37. Alex Carter, CB, Stanford. 6' 200#.
38. Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (OH). 5'11" 200#.
39. Josh Shaw, CB, USC. 6' 200#.
40. Tre McBride, WR, William & Mary. 6'1" 205#.
41. Ty Sambrailo, OL, Colorado St . 6'5" 315#.
42. Paul Dawson, LB, TCU. 6'2" 230#.
43. Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke. 6'3" 320#.
44. Preston Smith, EDGE, Mississippi St.
45. Jacquiski Tartt, S, Samford. 6'1" 218#.
46. Cody Prewitt, S, Mississippi. 6'2" 217#.
Tier 7: (developmental prospects with long-term potential to be significant contributors )
47. Max Valles, EDGE, Virginia. 6'5" 240#.
48. Ben Heeney, Off-LOS LB, Kasnas.
49. Mario Edwards, DE/DT, Florida St. 6'3" 278#.
50. Anthony Chikillo, EDGE, Miami.
51. Leterrius Walton, DT, Central Michigan. 6'5" 319#.
52. Tyeler Davison, DT, Fresno St. 6'2" 316#.
53. Nick Marshall, CB, Auburn. 6'1" 205#.
54. Chris Conley, WR/DE, Georgia. 6'2" 213#.
55. Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska. 6'1" 200#/
56. Eli Harold, EDGE, Virginia. 6'4" 240#.
57. Ha'oli Kikaha, EDGE, Washington. 6'2" 243#.
58. David Cobb, RB, Minnesota. 5'11" 229#.
59. Jacoby Glenn, CB, UCF. 6' 187#.
Tier 8: (developmental prospects with the ability to compete for a roster spot)
60. David Parry, DT, Stanford. 6'1" 308#.
61. Deon Simon, DT, Northwestern St. 6'4" 321#.
62. Rakeem Nunez-Rochez, DT, Southern Mississippi. 6'2" 307#.
63. Damian Swann, CB, Georgia 6' 190#.
64. Jamil Douglas, OL, Arizona St. 6'4" 307#.
65. Robert Myles, OL, Tennessee St. 6'5" 310#.
66. Jarvis Harrison, OG, Texas A&M. 6'3" 320#.
67. Bobby Hart, OL Florida St. 6'4" 339#.
68. John Miller, OG, Louisville, 6'2" 321#.
69. Shaq Mason, OL, Gerogia Tech. 6'1" 303#.
70. Jeremiah Poutasi, OL, Utah. 6'6" 320#.
71. Obum Gwacham, EDGE, Oregon St. 6'5" 246#.
72. Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA. 6'5" 338#.
73. Justin Cox, DB, Mississippi St. 6'1" 200#.
74. Cassius Sendish, S, Kansas. 5'11" 196#.
75. Terry Williams, DT, East Carolina. 6'1" 329#.
76. Tray Walker, CB, Texas Southern. 6'2" 195#.
This is really, really rough, and should be regarded as a work in progress. Rankings within the later tier are very crude. Again, this is a Pats-specific big board, not a general ranking of players. This list undoubtedly leaves out a lot of good prospects, and probably some people's binkies. It's the nature of a "short board" to do so. I've tried to deliberately keep this board short, and to restrict it to guys who I thought would be good fits. There are some guys I've left out just because I can't decide yet if/where they fit (Grady Jarrett, Henry Anderson, Ronald Darby, Steve Nelson), and some guys who I've left in who I may take off the board altogether. There are probably a couple of big omissions that I just overlooked, too.