Pats Draft Board Exercise

[everlong]

1. With 6 WRs who I actually think deserve to be on the roster (Edelman, Amendola, Lafell, Dobson, Thompkins and Boyce) plus another talented guy in Mark Harrison, I really don't see room for a rookie WR. There's not enough of an upgrade to take a WR early, and I think it's a long shot that any day 3 guy would make the roster over guys who have already had a year to learn the system and work on their rapport with Brady. For that reason, I've left WRs off of my top 75 list (indicated in red). I do have a separate WR ranking list, and I expect a bunch of talented guys to slip through the cracks, and I would grab a bunch of UDFA WRs for roster competition, but I wouldn't spend a draft pick on the position.

Amendola is probably gone after this year and there's nothing certain about the futures of Thompkins, Boyce and to a lesser extent Dobson but the foot injury does concern me. The Patriots continue to contact WRs including high ones like Marquise Lee. 75 is just a number. If the Patriots like more than that it will become there board. Rumor is one year there board was 32 players. I don't think you throw out WRs. If something crazy like Donte Moncrief dropping to the 4th round happens and you have a 7.5 grade on him you draft the player.

2. I wouldn't spend a day 1 or 2 draft pick on a pure CB given all that we have invested in the position and how much depth we have, so I haven't included guys like Darqueze Dennard, Justin Gilbert, Bradley Robey, Jason Verrett, etc. (indicated in blue) My first pure CBs are guys like Phillip Gaines and Bashaud Breeland who I consider day 2 talents that could slip to day 3. My other DBs are guys who I think could play a hybrid CB/S role, or pure SS candidates. I have Kyle Fuller rated so high because of his versatility, and the fact that he played a LB role at times.

Same as the WRs you still slot the position. If for some strange reason Kyle Fuller is on the board at 62 you draft the beast not knowing if Revis will be back next year. Your post citing Phillip Gaines as this year's DJ Hayden was spot on. The kid will go in the second round and perhaps the top half of the round.

3. I'm assuming with the FA changes in the secondary that we'll generally be playing with a single high safety (Cover 1, Cover 3 or Cover 7) and very little Cover 2 with 2 deep safeties. What I'm looking for in a SS is very different depending on which role I'm looking to fill. Guys like Hasean Clinton-Dix, Lamarcus Joyner and Jimmy Ward are very good in coverage and fit well as deep safeties, but if we're playing mostly single high safety with McCourty as the deep guy then I want a more physical SS who can excel in the underneath zone coverage and run support activities. That's caused me to favor safeties like Deone Bucannon and Calvin Pryor, CB/S hybrids like Kyle Fuller, Antone Exum and Keith McGill, and LB/S hybrids like Kevin Pierre-Louis and Telvin Smith. My rankings would have been very different if I expected the Pats to play more Cover 2. I should probably have included Stanley Jean-Baptiste as well. (Indicated in green)

I see Kyle Fuller as a potential shutdown press corner. I would rather safeties who can cover and take good angles.

4. I didn't include any tackles who I didn't also project to interior line (indicated in purple). I like Jake Mewhort, and he could possibly move inside - I struggled with whether to include him, and left him off for now. Morgan Moses and Antonio Richardson are more pure RTs to me, and I wouldn't consider that position before day 3.

I really don't like any of the Patriots swing tackles. Cannon belongs at guard and the rest are Jags. I don't trust Vollmer to stay healthy so if Solder gets hurt they're screwed. I probably don't draft a pure tackle either but I put them in the list because again you never know. A guy like Moses drops to the 3rd and that's great value.

5. For interior linemen, I currently rank Brandon Thomas, Joel Bitonio, Marcus Martin and Weston Richburg as my top guys after Zach Martin. I actually like Trai Turner the most of the interior line prospects after those guys. I think that David Yankey and Xavier Su'a Filo are overrated, and ranked them in the next tier along with guys like Billy Turner.

It's fun to compare lists.

I meant to include Turner and missed him.

Great discussion.

 

[mayoclinic]

Amendola is probably gone after this year and there's nothing certain about the futures of Thompkins, Boyce and to a lesser extent Dobson but the foot injury does concern me. The Patriots continue to contact WRs including high ones like Marquise Lee. 75 is just a number. If the Patriots like more than that it will become there board. Rumor is one year there board was 32 players. I don't think you throw out WRs. If something crazy like Donte Moncrief dropping to the 4th round happens and you have a 7.5 grade on him you draft the player.

I understand your point of view. Rather than group the WRs as part of my vertical board, I have them off to the side. I really don't want to spend a draft pick on a WR this - there's really no place to put them. UDFAs and the PS is another matter. There's always FA and the 2015 draft, depending on how things sort out this year. But certainly, if someone drops to the point of being ridiculous value, then it needs to be considered.

Same as the WRs you still slot the position. If for some strange reason Kyle Fuller is on the board at 62 you draft the beast not knowing if Revis will be back next year. Your post citing Phillip Gaines as this year's DJ Hayden was spot on. The kid will go in the second round and perhaps the top half of the round.

I see Kyle Fuller as a potential shutdown press corner. I would rather safeties who can cover and take good angles.

I feel a bit differently about the DBs then I do about the WRs, and I included guys like Fuller, Breeland and Gaines. I gave a preference to DBs with some versatility over guys who were pure CBs.

I really don't like any of the Patriots swing tackles. Cannon belongs at guard and the rest are Jags. I don't trust Vollmer to stay healthy so if Solder gets hurt they're screwed. I probably don't draft a pure tackle either but I put them in the list because again you never know. A guy like Moses drops to the 3rd and that's great value.

I meant to include Turner and missed him.

I agree with that to a certain extent. I would probably include Mewhort in a revised version - he has the positional versatility. In reality, I think that Vollmer is the backup LT and Mankins is the 2nd backup LT. Guys on my short list for interior OL such as Zach Martin, Joel Bitonio, Brandon Thomas and Billy Turner also have the ability to play tackle if needed. As long as you have enough guys with positional versatility, you'll be ok. Would I like a true swing tackle? Absolutely. Is it one of my top priorities? Not at the moment.

Great discussion.

Agreed.

 

[mayoclinic]

To a large extent my board was a direct response to the OP, and particularly to the premise of the article cited:

Considering the process that goes into making each grade, sorting the order, and coming to a consensus on the hierarchy of players, that seems extreme compared to most team's standard of 150 or so. "In New England, it's even less. It's 75. It's 75 guys, so when you think about how many guys are picked in the Draft, they only have 75 guys that they want to take."

So my list of 75 players is not a strict vertical ranking of the top 75 players in the draft, but rather a list of 75 players that I would go into the draft wanting to get. That's partly why I left out WRs and CBs, and why I specifically included late round picks. If you go in to the draft with only guys who are likely to go day 1 or 2, then you're going to be floundering on day 3. About half my list was guys that I predicted could slide to day 3, including some late round picks.

 

[manxman2601]

I had Johnson on my list, along with 3 other RBs (Bishop Sankey, Devonta Freeman, and Jerick McKinnon). I also had Lorenzo Taliaferro on the list, but he got bumped just past the 75 cutoff.

If Blount or another FA RB doesn't sign then I think the position will be addressed on day 3. Otherwise, I doubt the position will be addressed until UDFA signings.

There are two I can easily see being taken in the 2nd or 3rd round. Until Blount is re-signed, we have injury prone Vereen and 'fumbles' Ridley, both of whom are out of contract at the end of the year.

 

[Leemo]

Ryan Riddle ‏@Ryan_Riddle 1h

Dominique Easley has just passed Aaron Donald as my highest graded interior lineman based on tape only at this point. .

 

[mayoclinic]

Ryan Riddle ‏@Ryan_Riddle 1h

Dominique Easley has just passed Aaron Donald as my highest graded interior lineman based on tape only at this point. .

Josh Norris from Rotoworld has Easley rated #8 overall on his top 100 board, with Donald #12. I have Donald rated more highly, but that factors in Easley's injury situation. I have Donald-Easley-Hageman as my top 3, and as my main targets with the Pats' top pick.

 

[EwanSellars]

honestly don't care which one of those DT's we get as long as we get one I think they are all going to be amazing in the NFL

 

[JerseyShore99]

Ryan Riddle ‏@Ryan_Riddle 1h

Dominique Easley has just passed Aaron Donald as my highest graded interior lineman based on tape only at this point. .

I really like how he plays but there is no way Belichick targets him...he previously said he has never watched a football game from beginning to end, much rather watch cartoons, BB loves guys with a passion for the game and Easely doesn't have it

 

[1960Pats]

I think I watched one college game in the last ten years.

So this thread isn't an exercise for me, it's a triathlon, maybe two in two days.

It's very helpful though.

Thanks.

 

[Off The Grid]

Was reading this great article in regards to how teams prepare for the draft and came across this interesting tidbit about the Pats.

Not just throwing darts: A behind-the-scenes look at the NFL scouting process, and how players ultimately land on each team's draft board - SBNation.com





Also taking into account's Top 50 board earlier this year.. I thought it would be a good exercise to get into the head of Bill and draw up our Top 75 board.



Rich Hill's Patriots Top 50 Draft Big Board - Pats Pulpit

Taking into account the physical profiles Bill looks at as well as the type of players they are i.e solid leaders, team captains etc.

Let's take a crack at it!

Really looking forward to Manx, OTG and MayoClinic's thoughts.

Honored to be considered, Brother Yo. Thanks, man.

I should let you know, though: my approach doesn't even in the remotest way consider What Bill Would Do.

That is in no way a criticism of The Great One, mind you: Much as I do enjoy critiquing his moves ~ and throwing the occasional epileptic seizure on occasions such as Ryan Mallett, Ras I Dowling, and Tavon Wilson ~ my fervent admiration and indeed worship of Bill II The Mad (Genius) remained unshaken.

But I'm not qualified to anticipate his Moves.

 

[manxman2601]

I've been putting together my personal big board and whilst i'm not going to reveal it just yet, I want to stew on it awhile, I did say I'd offer up my top 75 so here they are:

1 Anthony Barr
2 Eric Ebron
3 Mike Evans
4 RaShede Hageman
5 Aaron Donald
6 Austin Seferian-Jenkins
7 Jimmie Ward
8 Ryan Shazier
9 Kelvin Benjamin
10 Kyle Fuller
11 Stephon Tuitt
12 Jace Amaro
13 Dee Ford
14 Kony Ealy
15 Louis Nix
16 Calvin Pryor
17 Troy Niklas
18 Deone Bucannon
19 Kareem Martin
20 Marcus Martin
21 Dominique Easley
22 Charles Sims
23 Joel Bitonio
24 Trent Murphy
25 Lache Seastrunk
26 C.J. Fiedorowicz
27 Phillip Gaines
28 Jordan Tripp
29 Caraun Reid
30 Pierre Desir
31 Weston Richburg
32 Bishop Sankey
33 Brandon Thomas
34 Jeremy Hill
35 Jackson Jeffcoat
36 Dion Bailey
37 Bashaud Breeland
38 Christian Jones
39 Telvin Smith
40 Antone Exum
41 Brandon Coleman
42 James Gayle
43 Zach Mettenberge
r44 Justin Ellis
45 Christian Kirksey
46 Arthur Lynch
47 Logan Thomas
48 JaWuan James
49 James Hurst
50 Kevin Pierre-Louis
51 Ben Gardner
52 Terrence Fede
53 Aaron Murray
54 Dontae Johnson
55 Taylor Hart
56 Brent Urban
57 Jerick McKinnon
58 John Urschel
59 Charles Leno
60 Dri Archer
61 Tyler Gaffney
62 Crockett Gillmore
63 Wesley Johnson
64 Zack Kerr
65 Gator Hoskins
66 Matt Patchan
67 Michael Campanaro
68 Kevin Norwood
69 Russell Bodine
70 Devin Street
71 Seantrel Henderson
72 Trey Millard
73 Shamar Stephen
74 Walt Aikens
75 Marcel Jensen