Pick by Pick analyais from Pro Football Weekly

[PATSNUTme]

ProFootballWeekly.com - Pick-by-pick analysis: Round One

21 (21) New England Patriots (from Cincinnati): DE Chandler Jones, Syracuse
The Patriots sorely needed to add some pressure players, and Bill Belichick shrewdly dealt up to land a raw condor with rare length and explosive body power. Jones is very tough, humble and hardworking and once he develops his core strength and learns how to harness his raw power, he could emerge as a special talent at any position along the defensive line.


25 (25) New England Patriots (from Denver): LB Dont'a Hightower, AlabamaAfter aggressively dealing up to land Chandler Jones, Belichick jumped up two spots again to leapfrog the Texans and find another versatile, mismatch piece with wrecking-ball power. The two-time team captain can pair with Jerod Mayo to fortify the inside of the Patriots' defense. Having proven capable of rushing off the edge, Hightower can give the Patriots the ability to disguise their front and catch offenses off guard.

 

[PATSNUTme]

16 (48) New England Patriots (from Oakland): FS Tavon Wilson, Illinois A surprise second-round selection after the safety board was wiped clean, Wilson has corner-safety versatility and the type of intangibles to lead in the secondary. He has overcome a lot of adversity in his life and has the mental and physical toughness desired on the back end. He has outstanding size for the cornerback position, plays the ball well in front of him and could prove to be best as a press cornerback in the Patriots defense.


ProFootballWeekly.com - Pick-by-pick analysis: Round Two

27 (90) New England Patriots (from Green Bay): DE Jake Bequette, Arkansas
The Patriots entered this draft with a strong need for pressure players and they landed their third in four picks with the addition of Bequette, who has drawn comparisons to Jared Allen for his motor and energy.

http://cache.profootballweekly.com/2012/04/27/pick-by-pick-analysis-round-three-3

27 (197) New England Patriots (from Green Bay): S Nate Ebner, Ohio State
Ebner is a rugby player and former walk-on whose pro-day workout was outstanding. He could become a special-teams kamikaze.
http://cache.profootballweekly.com/2012/04/28/pick-by-pick-analysis-round-six-2

17 (224) New England Patriots (from New York Jets through Green Bay): CB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
An arrest a week before the draft dropped Dennard to the seventh round, but he has starter-caliber traits as a nickel cornerback and could be very well worth the risk in a strong, veteran locker room that polices itself.

28 (235) New England Patriots (from Green Bay): WR Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern
Undersized, productive slot receiver who helped himself with a strong senior season and ran in the 4.4s at his pro day. On tape, he plays like a quicker-than-fast type that fits well in the Patriots' scheme.
http://cache.profootballweekly.com/2012/04/28/pick-by-pick-analysis-round-seven-2

 

[shmessy]

Evidently, PFW loves everyone.

 

[AzPatsFan]

16 (48) New England Patriots (from Oakland): FS Tavon Wilson, Illinois A surprise second-round selection after the safety board was wiped clean, Wilson has corner-safety versatility and the type of intangibles to lead in the secondary. He has overcome a lot of adversity in his life and has the mental and physical toughness desired on the back end. He has outstanding size for the corner back position, plays the ball well in front of him and could prove to be best as a press corner back in the Patriots defense.


ProFootballWeekly.com - Pick-by-pick analysis: Round Two

27 (90) New England Patriots (from Green Bay): DE Jake Bequette, Arkansas
The Patriots entered this draft with a strong need for pressure players and they landed their third in four picks with the addition of Bequette, who has drawn comparisons to Jared Allen for his motor and energy.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Pick-by-pick analysis: Round Three

27 (197) New England Patriots (from Green Bay): S Nate Ebner, Ohio State
Ebner is a rugby player and former walk-on whose pro-day workout was outstanding. He could become a special-teams kamikaze.
ProFootballWeekly.com - Pick-by-pick analysis: Round Six

17 (224) New England Patriots (from New York Jets through Green Bay): CB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
An arrest a week before the draft dropped Dennard to the seventh round, but he has starter-caliber traits as a nickel corner back and could be very well worth the risk in a strong, veteran locker room that polices itself.

28 (235) New England Patriots (from Green Bay): WR Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern
Undersized, productive slot receiver who helped himself with a strong senior season and ran in the 4.4s at his pro day. On tape, he plays like a quicker-than-fast type that fits well in the Patriots' scheme.
ProFootballWeekly.com - Pick-by-pick analysis: Round Seven

I think that PFW totally misreads Tavon Wilson. BB wanted and there was a team opening for a bigger, faster, more athletic, smart and maybe more self disciplined James Sanders type of diagnose, set, and settle the secondary as a centerfield, Free Safety. One who is team-oriented, coach-able, and much better facing the WR & QB as a center fielder, but can occasionally blitz, or become a fair, not hopeless, slot or outside CB as the play or situation develops. That describes Tavon to a "T".

Some have suggested that if Alfonzo Dennard had been taken in the second round, all would have been forgiven. But Alfonzo plays slot CB, that requires a totally different set of athletic and mental abilities than the Facing Free Safety that Belichick drafted Tavon to play.

They are not interchangeable, by and large. Transferring Arrngton to Safety was NEVER considered, when McCourty did. Arrington and Dennard will have a nice competition for the slot CB roles. Meanwhile Gregory, Wilson and Edelman will compete at FS, while Chung and Barrett secure the SS.

 

[Simple Jack's Brother]

27 (197) New England Patriots (from Green Bay): S Nate Ebner, Ohio State
Ebner is a rugby player and former walk-on whose pro-day workout was outstanding. He could become a special-teams kamikaze.


Would the NFL allow him to wear a white bandanna with a red dot on the front instead of a helmet?? Sounds like he would prefer no helmet.

 

[everlong]

Jones has been compared to JPP and now Bequette to Jarad Allen. Assuming that came to pass you can put the Pats down for the team record for sacks in a season now.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Jones has been compared to JPP and now Bequette to Jarad Allen. Assuming that came to pass you can put the Pats down for the team record for sacks in a season now.

Why stop there! It's hyperbole season!

I've seen Dennard mentioned favorably in the same sentence as Darrel Revis. Before the draft I saw some message boards calling Hightower the next Ray Lewis (by Ravens fans I think; might have changed their minds since). Bequette has gone from Mike Wright to Jared Allen .. awesome!

These assessments explain the true reason they might kill the Pro Bowl: The AFC roster will be mostly Patriots every year, but they'll always be busy prepping for the Super Bowl. :rocker:


(For the record, I wouldn't be surprised if at least two of these hype comparisons prove true. No idea which ones, but I have the same good feeling after this draft that I had after the '10 draft. )

 

[BlueThunder]

If I read all the reports right, and everyone the Pats drafted and signed as FA's and UDFA's stays healthy, the Pats will have to cut some darn good players or stash them on PUP/IR.

Dare I say 18-0 !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ctpatsfan77]

If I read all the reports right, and everyone the Pats drafted and signed as FA's and UDFA's stays healthy, the Pats will have to cut some darn good players or stash them on PUP/IR.

Dare I say 18-0 !!!!!!!!!!!

18?

 

[Wax Frog]

Nice to know that this year's menu will feature raw condor!

 

[The Boston Patriot]

Dare I say 18-0 !!!!!!!!!!!

It's impossible to finish 18-0 in today's NFL.

 

[Sicilian]

27 (197) New England Patriots (from Green Bay): S Nate Ebner, Ohio State
Ebner is a rugby player and former walk-on whose pro-day workout was outstanding. He could become a special-teams kamikaze.


Would the NFL allow him to wear a white bandanna with a red dot on the front instead of a helmet?? Sounds like he would prefer no helmet.

Like the guy from Necessary Roughness. "We need to get him some pads..." "I'm afraid the pads might hurt his game."

 

[Husse]

It's impossible to finish 18-0 in today's NFL.

Depends, 18-0-1 is still 18-0. :singing:

 

[DarrylS]

Read the article twice now, and have not seen the word debacle.. am I missing something???

 

[Uncle Rico]

It's impossible to finish 18-0 in today's NFL.

After two straight 19-0 Patriots seasons, the league will invoke a mercy rule.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I think that PFW totally misreads Tavon Wilson. BB wanted and there was a team opening for a bigger, faster, more athletic, smart and maybe more self disciplined James Sanders type of diagnose, set, and settle the secondary as a centerfield, Free Safety. One who is team-oriented, coach-able, and much better facing the WR & QB as a center fielder, but can occasionally blitz, or become a fair, not hopeless, slot or outside CB as the play or situation develops. That describes Tavon to a "T".

Some have suggested that if Alfonzo Dennard had been taken in the second round, all would have been forgiven. But Alfonzo plays slot CB, that requires a totally different set of athletic and mental abilities than the Facing Free Safety that Belichick drafted Tavon to play.

They are not interchangeable, by and large. Transferring Arrngton to Safety was NEVER considered, when McCourty did. Arrington and Dennard will have a nice competition for the slot CB roles. Meanwhile Gregory, Wilson and Edelman will compete at FS, while Chung and Barrett secure the SS.

You and Zo must have watched different tape. He played corner until he volunteered to be a safety because that was what the team needed and he often played inside the box and even as a linebacker, and we don't play Free and Strong, we play left and right. I think the new scheme here is not going to be 3-4 or 4-3 base, it's going to be multiple and every DB on the roster is going to be a DB... and the LB will be LB (not ILB or OLB) unless some of them put their hand on the ground and DE's will be DE's unless they don't...or they move inside. He's not looking for prototypes or even tweener conversions anymore. He's looking for big, fast, driven, instinctive and coachable chameleons who can do or be a lot of things well enough to give opposing OC's and QB's fits. He's going to coach all of them to play in a lot of different fronts so that his personnel groupings don't even indicate what the heck is coming...

Bedard basically asked him if that level of scheme diversity was what he was ultimately looking for and he acknowledged it is provided they can replicate the kind of things they did at the college level at the next level.

As a whole, the parts seem to fit the Patriots - The Boston Globe

 

[Leemo]

Why stop there! It's hyperbole season!

I've seen Dennard mentioned favorably in the same sentence as Darrel Revis. Before the draft I saw some message boards calling Hightower the next Ray Lewis (by Ravens fans I think; might have changed their minds since). Bequette has gone from Mike Wright to Jared Allen .. awesome!

These assessments explain the true reason they might kill the Pro Bowl: The AFC roster will be mostly Patriots every year, but they'll always be busy prepping for the Super Bowl. :rocker:


(For the record, I wouldn't be surprised if at least two of these hype comparisons prove true. No idea which ones, but I have the same good feeling after this draft that I had after the '10 draft. )

Don't forget that Jeremy Ebert is a 'Wes Welker clone'

 

[BlueThunder]

18-0 ??????????


Sheesh

It's tough when you get old and lose brain cells

 

[PittPatriot]

Maybe it's just me but I am not overwhelmed with confidence when the second line in the evaluation talks about "had to overcome adversity" or "is a rugby player."

 

[BB4PRez]

Why stop there! It's hyperbole season!

I've seen Dennard mentioned favorably in the same sentence as Darrel Revis. Before the draft I saw some message boards calling Hightower the next Ray Lewis (by Ravens fans I think; might have changed their minds since). Bequette has gone from Mike Wright to Jared Allen .. awesome!

These assessments explain the true reason they might kill the Pro Bowl: The AFC roster will be mostly Patriots every year, but they'll always be busy prepping for the Super Bowl. :rocker:


(For the record, I wouldn't be surprised if at least two of these hype comparisons prove true. No idea which ones, but I have the same good feeling after this draft that I had after the '10 draft. )

You are correct in all respects.

The amazing thing is that none of the so called experts and commentators have picked on the Patriots UFA signings. My understanding is that each one is a First Round talent who for some inexplicable reason was not even drafted.

BB seems to like team captains in the early rounds