I'm with you on the B-. This draft reminded me alot of the 2007 draft where BB was overdrafting players and all the fans were livid but compassionate given his track record. That draft didn't pay off, but hopefully the team can redeem itself this year.
The Pats spent most of their pick capital on Randy Moss and Wes Welker in 2007 You can't mention that 07 draft without mentioning those guys. The Pats only went on to become the HIGHEST SCORING OFFENSE of ALL TIME. In hindsight the reason the Pats were probably willing to expend picks in trade is they didn't like the depth of that draft very much.
The 2011 draft doesn't look as solid all around as the 2010 draft, it more heavily favors the offensive side than the defense, but it's early to judge the merits of the draft. And I think there are some picks here who can definitely pay dividends in the long haul.
1. Nate Solder - Potential franchise LT. If he works out to be the stud that Dante thinks he can be, the Pats are SET at both tackles for a long time with him and Vollmer. The draft would be a success if this pick worked out alone. Because Franchise LTs are that important to team success.
2. Ras-I Dowling - CB. Since when did CB become a controversial pick. With better corners you can defense against the prolific passing offenses that have come prominent in the league. You really can't have enough good corners. Especially when certain of them were so suspect to getting picked on last year. How many of you moaned and groaned when Wilhite and Butler got repeatedly burned? Well now there's a new CB in town. Ras-I Dowling is a TALL and talented CB who can handle the taller WRs that have become more prevalent in the NFL. It's always good to bolster the secondary when that secondary ranked poorly in the previous season.
3. Runningbacks - Vereen + Ridley. The Pats lack of a running game in the postseason, their inability to conduct a balanced offense has been a problem in the postseason. Whether it was because they couldn't 'grind out' games to finish the clock when they had the lead OR once the run game got shut down they become 'one dimensional' and predictable passing offense. Now the Pats have the personnel to pound the football and finish out those games and be less predictable offensively.
4. Ryan Mallett. Long term this was an investment pick who may pay off bigger than any other pick taken today. If you get yourself a franchise QB with a 3rd round pick, that has to be considered a heist. Does he have questions? Sure. Did BB interview Mallett personally and was satisfied he could work with Mallett? He sure did. Only time will tell, but physically Mallett is the prototypical QB with the cannon arm who NFL teams would love to have if he lives up to his high ceiling.
5. Marcus Cannon. Another selection with the future in mind. If Cannon comes through his treatment with good health, the Patriots got an absolute steal. A 6'5 350 lb 'dancing bear' who will absolutely maul defenders at the point of attack and pave the way for the Pats 'new look' rushing attack.
6. Lee Smith. Another TE Run Blocking Mauler. The Pats imperative is clear in 2011 - Pave the way for the Run Game and control the clock.
Oh and we did draft an OLB by the name of Markell Carter and another DB by the name of Malcolm Williams. In all this team got completely retooled offensively, deeper in the secondary, and picked up a developmental OLB for competition in camp. Are these picks all going to work out? Of course not. But BB's vision is pretty clear in this draft and he aggressively sought out players who could make his 'new blueprint' come to life.
Now we'll have to wait to see exactly how these pieces all fit together but the Pats have definitely added talent to the roster. You can't help but do so when you make 9 selections in the draft. If even half of those guys pan out, that's improving the overall roster by 5 more talented guys. BB's best '53' versus another team's flashy 'top 10'. I'll take the deeper 53 and the better coach every time.
