Another option: Wilson at 22

[mgteich]

He'll probably be gone, but many have posted mocks with Wilson still available.

If the #1 issue is improving our defense,

How about:
22 Wilson
44 Hughes
47 Alualu or Jones

53 and 119 would be available for a receiver and a tight end, with our without a trade.
=========================

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Wilson works for me although when I update "My 4" I will have McCourty in that spot. He's more likely to be there than Wilson and is also a top ST player which never hurts.

Unless you count Springs or Wheatley, we're only 3 deep at CB right now. Bodden, Butler, McCourty (or Wilson) and Wilhite would be a solid 4.

Don't sleep of Kareem Jackson, either, he comes well trained from Saban and has played in a multitude of roles there.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

He'll probably be gone, but many have posted mocks with Wilson still available.

If the #1 issue is iomporving our defense,

How about:
22 Wilson
44 Hughes
47 Alualu or Jones

53 and 119 would be available for a receiver and a tight end, with our without a trade.
=========================

Kyle Wilson would be a dream pick but as a guy who watches CBs in the draft it always seems that they go much higher than projected in the first round. These guys are at a premium.

All in all those picks would be a great draft. Maybe Ricky Sapp instead of Hughes but either one would be great. I can only hope. To heck with WRs and RBs; the Patriots need to stock up on D.

 

[bucky]

He'll probably be gone, but many have posted mocks with Wilson still available.

If the #1 issue is iomporving our defense,

How about:
22 Wilson
44 Hughes
47 Alualu or Jones

53 and 119 would be available for a receiver and a tight end, with our without a trade.
=========================

This might look a little silly when Parcells takes Hughes at 12. Or if not, you might not like it when Rexy grabs Hughes at 29. I would say that's Hughes' range. Many people are underestimating his draft stock.

 

[patsinthesnow]

I've always believed the pats have had a good secondary that has looked mediocre due to them having to cover for 5 seconds.

Pass rush please. Bodden-Butler is a great combo with Wilhite playing nickel.

 

[SyN65]

Another CB? No thanks.

 

[mgteich]

If Parcells wants Hughes at twelve, that just moves a player down. In any case, there are others available at 44.

I don't understand why folks are so satisfied with Bodden, Butler and Wilhite with Springs and Wheatley on the bench. Wilson, McCurty or Jackson make us a much stronger team.

This might look a little silly when Parcells takes Hughes at 12. Or if not, you might not like it when Rexy grabs Hughes at 29. I would say that's Hughes' range. Many people are underestimating his draft stock.

 

[mgteich]

I'm fine with McCurty or Jackson.

Wilson works for me although when I update "My 4" I will have McCourty in that spot. He's more likely to be there than Wilson and is also a top ST player which never hurts.

Unless you count Springs or Wheatley, we're only 3 deep at CB right now. Bodden, Butler, McCourty (or Wilson) and Wilhite would be a solid 4.

Don't sleep of Kareem Jackson, either, he comes well trained from Saban and has played in a multitude of roles there.

 

[VJCPatriot]

If Parcells wants Hughes at twelve, that just moves a player down. In any case, there are others available at 44.

I don't understand why folks are so satisfied with Bodden, Butler and Wilhite with Springs and Wheatley on the bench. Wilson, McCurty or Jackson make us a much stronger team.

Perhaps, but no matter how good they are, your cover people can't cover all day long and the Pats still haven't addressed that passrush.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Perhaps, but no matter how good they are, your cover people can't cover all day long and the Pats still haven't addressed that passrush.

We have three #2s also. If the BPA is a CB that is a fine place to go as we can easily have 3 or even 4 CB on the field at the same time in today's NFL. There will still be intriguing pass rushers in the mid second round.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

If Parcells wants Hughes at ten, that just moves a player down. In any case, there are others available at 44.

I don't understand why folks are so satisfied with Bodden, Butler and Wilhite with Springs and Wheatley on the bench. Wilson, McCurty or Jackson make us a much stronger team.

I think Parcells goes with Taylor Mays at #12

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

I think Parcells goes with Taylor Mays at #12

Parcells is a great drafter ===> No way he does that. Mays is about the least likely player for Miami to take.

 

[mgteich]

Agreed........

Parcells is a great drafter ===> No way he does that. Mays is about the least likely player for Miami to take.

 

[supafly]

I don't understand why folks are so satisfied with Bodden, Butler and Wilhite with Springs and Wheatley on the bench. Wilson, McCurty or Jackson make us a much stronger team.

I absolutely agree, especially considering that Bodden is our only real proven solid CB right now. Butler looks like he may be able to translate into a good CB, and seems to have good potential. Today, however he is still raw, and quite possibly could need another yr or two to fully develop--although I'm very happy about having him here. With Wilhite, it may be too early also, but what I've seen isn't exactly thrilling so far.

In a pass happy league you need at least 3-4 solid CB's, not to mention depth. If Leigh Bodden were to miss any substantial time right now, we'd be in pretty bad shape.

If Belichick likes the pick, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see McCourtey, Wilson, or Kareem Jackson.

 

[MaineMan]

Bodden was a top ten corner last season. If Butler can avoid a sophomore slump and keep improving at the rate he did last season, that's two very good starters for 2010. However, behind them for nickel/dime packages, the ancient Springs was a degree or two better than Wilhite and the dropoff from Bodden/Butler was farily substantial. Then there's Wheatley who appears to be close to a bust. Arrington is very enthusiastic, but may not ever be more than a great ST guy.

I like Wilson a lot. I think he could step in and be slightly better than Butler from the get-go. If all the 1st-round-worthy pass rushers are gone by #22 and Wilson is still on the board, I'd be very happy if BB took him. I like McCourty as well, but think he's no better than Butler and wouldn't become a significant contributor till late in 2010 or into 2011. Not so sure about Kareem Jackson and I feel that there's a significant dropoff in CB prospect potential after him. Either way, I do feel that we need one more truly solid CB.

However, I can't take the CB position out of context. It is also true that getting a pass-rush that can get home in under five seconds would do wonders for the performance of the entire secondary. It also seems to me that upgrading at safety would help a whole bunch. Meriweather is very good in coverage, but tackles like Sean Weatherspoon. McGowan is great in the box, but, for me, that doesn't compensate for his uncanny ability to screw up coverages. Sanders is a good, solid #3 guy in both respects, but Chung is still in the wait-and-see phase (but coming along much more slowly that I expected). Lockett is like Arrington. It should also be noted that Darren Sharper is still available, though that's a serious longshot.

The ideal, for me, would be to have two starters who can cover like Meriweather and tackle like McGowan with Sanders as the #3/reserve guy. The good news is that there may be a few underrated safety prospects available in the mid/late rounds this year. The other (possibly) good news is that, in January, the Pats added Corwin Brown, an experienced NFL secondary coach, to at least supplement the efforts of young Josh Boyer (2009 was Boyer's first year coaching DBs at the pro level). Perhaps this will speed the development of Chung, Butler and Wilhite and maybe even "fix" Wheatley (Kerry Rhodes actually played fairly well while being coached by Brown). Brown may also have some valuable input about this year's draft prospects vis-a-vis the guys already on the roster.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I'm continually surprised at the comments about Chung coming along slowly, even the qualified ones from Maine. If you compare him to Meriweather he may even be a bit ahead of the curve (they were both used differently, Meriweather more coverage, Chung more in the box) a smidge. I'm very pleased with his progress.

 

[patsinthesnow]

I'm continually surprised at the comments about Chung coming along slowly, even the qualified ones from Maine. If you compare him to Meriweather he may even be a bit ahead of the curve (they were both used differently, Meriweather more coverage, Chung more in the box) a smidge. I'm very pleased with his progress.

I think your right. I was suprised when he had some stats, I don't remember him at all.

Meriweather 2007- 27 tackles 0 sacks 0 INT
Chung 2009- 37 tackles 2 sacks 1 INT

That could qualify for it's own thread, very interesting.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mgteich, If Kyle Wilson is the 2nd best CB behind Joe Haden, I'd consider him as long as we got a good pass rusher at #44.

Is Kyle Wilson a big play gambler a-la Asante Samuels, or a good cover corner, like Bodden?

 

[MaineMan]

I think your right. I was suprised when he had some stats, I don't remember him at all.

Meriweather 2007- 27 tackles 0 sacks 0 INT
Chung 2009- 37 tackles 2 sacks 1 INT

That could qualify for it's own thread, very interesting.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mgteich, If Kyle Wilson is the 2nd best CB behind Joe Haden, I'd consider him as long as we got a good pass rusher at #44.

Is Kyle Wilson a big play gambler a-la Asante Samuels, or a good cover corner, like Bodden?

Good cover and tackler, like Bodden, from what I've seen, and I like that better than a flashy gambler. This is the flipside of the pass-rush/secondary interdependence. If you've got guys (three corners, at least two safeties and an LB or two) who can often smother all the opposing QB's targets for an extra second or two, even a relatively slow pass-rush can get close enough to home to force some mistakes.

WRT Chung, I simply feel that his development last season was slower than I expected, not that it was non-existent. And I have to chalk at least part of (what I saw as) the "delay" (and perhaps Wheatley's regression) in depending on essentially a "rookie" DB coach (Boyer), in contrast to Capers in 2008 who seemed to do nearly as well with far less talent. That's why I mentioned that adding Corwin Brown to the staff this season may help.

At this point it appears that Chung is likely to be equal to McGowan in tackling ability and perhaps superior in pass rush. But what I haven't seen from him is coverage, though it would take very little for him to be superior to McGowan in that aspect. All that said, I think there's a good chance he's starting in 2010 alongside Meriweather. I just expected it to happen (and WISH it WOULD have happened) closer to mid-2009.

 

[MaineMan]

I think your right. I was suprised when he had some stats, I don't remember him at all.

Meriweather 2007- 27 tackles 0 sacks 0 INT
Chung 2009- 37 tackles 2 sacks 1 INT

That could qualify for it's own thread, very interesting.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mgteich, If Kyle Wilson is the 2nd best CB behind Joe Haden, I'd consider him as long as we got a good pass rusher at #44.

Is Kyle Wilson a big play gambler a-la Asante Samuels, or a good cover corner, like Bodden?

BTW - where did you get this number for tackles? That would be more tackles than 20 or so other safeties who played two to three times the 195 snaps that Chung did in 2009, and would project to about 150 tackles for 800 snaps (better by half than all the top safeties in the NFL), so it seems kind of unrealistic.

 

[bucky]

I think Butler has great potential. He's got great speed, really good short area burst, and excellent hands. That doesn't mean he's going to fulfill all the potential, but adding a first round pick would seem a bit overkill. I think a guy like Arenas in the 3rd round or so would be a great addition - an upgrade at the slot and a punt returner to boot.