Everyone Seems VERY Happy With This Draft So Far

[mosslost]

Odd feeling throughout this draft: like the players dont like the draft.

If this was last year - or most other years - id be enthusiastic.

This draft offered unique opportunities for the team always drafting at the bottom though and the predominant feeling is about missed opportunity. Im not a “talent“ person but this draft offered some top talent at low cost and Pats had plenty of ammunition and core team in place to get what they normally can't. They punted and went their usual way - good physical football players with highest character, maturity, leadership (on most part).

So it is this draft as usual approach (that i normally love so much) in a special draft year that has me quite detached..

So what specifically would you rather they had done? Trade up to get someone specific you had in mind?

 

[patsinthesnow]

I echo that sentiment. The value mining was really unlike any BB draft in recent memory. It’s five players with starting caliber ability down the road.

Chase Winovich Advanced Stats and Metrics Player Profile

Winovich is the big one & why it’s good to be excited about this class. He’s a great athlete at the EDGE position with a sub 4.6 40 & sub 7 second 3 cone. On top of that on a defense with two first round defenders in Gary & Bush he dominated production wise with 15.5 TFL (2nd on the team was 8.5). Tackles for loss are a stat with a high correlation for NFL success for pass rushers.

Everything about Winovich’s profile says potential longterm starter & a player you hoped would fall to 56. You shouldn’t be able to get a pass rusher with that skillset in the third round & we needed one more quality one to rotate in with Bennett/Wise/Simon. We basically benefited that Winovich played next to an overrated HS phenom at Michigan.

 

[TomPatriot]

I am not really happy with it....yet. There is a lot of glitz in the draft so far, but I hate to see BB / Josh take a first round WR; they have a terrible track record with high-round WRs. BB just cannot bring himself to draft a WR who is not a Boy Scout, but great WRs do not come in that favor. And who knows what Josh was thinking with his bad picks at Denver.

I have other question marks. Cajuste was wearing two knee braces in a picture I saw of him and holding a DE. I love Joejuan, but is he fast enough? Winovich has the right attitude, but he does not look that strong.

I’m not wowed by Cajuste, who I think has great size, but ok technique and balance. A plodder with good upper body strength and long arms. Not a bad pick, but not exactly Cody Ford. Maybe he blossoms under Dante.

I’m perplexed at anyone who doesn’t love Harry and at least like the other picks, though.

 

[Ring 6]

We might even keep 5 true RBs

Do we have 5?

 

[zoostation]

Ha. Just said the same thing. His ability in run support and coverage inside inside the hashes should not be undervalued. It's plus -plus.

I don't disagree he'd be a nice fit in the hybrid Chung LB/Safety role..... but I see him as a true Browner type corner (with better athletic abilities) covering the bigger receivers outside the numbers. BUT Who know's ....BB may have him long snapping

 

[RobertWeathers]

Do we have 5?

Well, you and I debated this before.

Sony
Harris
Burk
White
Bolden (ST/RB) but may only get 1 carry this year)

Develin is FB but carried the ball out of necessity last year.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I don't disagree he'd be a nice fit in the hybrid Chung LB/Safety role..... but I see him as a true Browner type corner (with better athletic abilities) covering the bigger receivers outside the numbers. BUT Who know's ....BB may have him long snapping

Re: Browner comparison: maybe. He's pretty physical.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Winovich reminds me too much of the gaulish leader Vencengeterix (A classic tweener from the Barbarian hordes to the North...)

 

[Water Boy]

I’m not wowed by Cajuste, who I think has great size, but ok technique and balance. A plodder with good upper body strength and long arms.

I wouldn't call Yondy a plodder by any stretch. Sorry if I'm quibbling about semantics. My 5 minute arm-chair scout analysis tells me he has very good feet and he appears to be able to easily ride and defend the outside speed rush. He can easily get to second level blocks. He needs to stay on blocks longer and needs to become less finesse and more of a mauler.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I wouldn't call Yondy a plodder by any stretch. Sorry if I'm quibbling about semantics. My 5 minute arm-chair scout analysis tells me he has very good feet and he appears to be able to easily ride and defend the outside speed rush. He can easily get to second level blocks. He needs to stay on blocks longer and needs to become less finesse and more of a mauler.

Balance and health are the concerns with him.

Scar can fix one. The other we just need to be hopeful it's not an issue

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

The 4th round is critical for TE, DL and QB.

trade the rest of our picks for Rudolph from Viks and Gerald McCoy from the Bucs and I'll be super happy with this draft.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

 

[SBLIII]

The 4th round is critical for TE, DL and QB.

Or LB, WR and OG.

 

[Quest4SevenHomie]

I honestly think we'll get our shot against the Eagles again in the Super Bowl. They are absolutely stacked on both sides of the ball, as are the Pats.

How? Their QB isn't Nick Foles anymore. And we can't embarrass them without Gronk. They didn't play scared against us in the Super Bowl. They're not the Rams.

Just like the Giants, we're going to live this down forever. Eagles fans will make sure to remind us.

 

[luuked]

How? Their QB isn't Nick Foles anymore. And we can't embarrass them without Gronk. They didn't play scared against us in the Super Bowl. They're not the Rams.

Just like the Giants, we're going to live this down forever. Eagles fans will make sure to remind us.

Remind us about what ? The one SB they got away with that is sandwiched between two more titles for us ?

Who gives a ****. Any bad taste from 2017 was washed away by our postseason this year.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

How? Their QB isn't Nick Foles anymore. And we can't embarrass them without Gronk. They didn't play scared against us in the Super Bowl. They're not the Rams.

Just like the Giants, we're going to live this down forever. Eagles fans will make sure to remind us.

And we don't play scared against anyone either.

 

[BobDigital]

Something I really like about this draft is how safe the picks are.

Harry, Harris & Winovich WILL be productive. If any of them bust out I will be absolutely shocked. They checked off every box you could possibly ask for. They were productive and did a number of things at a high level and produced against good competition.

Getting 3 guys like that is nice.

As for Joejuan Williams and Yodny Cajuste they are good measured risk.

Anytime the Pats take an OL prospect you generally need to feel good about it. They've been unlucky with injuries but besides that when they pick a guy in the top 4 rounds they tend to hit on him if he stays healthy. Cajuste was picked at a good value spot for where he was graded. He has a lot of upside to tap into and I think most fans expect it to work out as long as no injuries happen.

Joejuan Williams to me is the only pick where it could realistically go bad, but the upside is tempting. As a side note a lot of people are talking about him as a match up based CB and I don't agree or like that. If you pick a guy at 45 (and trade up for him) you shouldn't be fine with that player sitting or covering scrub players some weeks just cause they fit his type.

If you trade up to take a guy at 45 you better be shooting for a player who doesn't leave the field (ala a Richard Sherman type). Yes play the match ups when they make sense, but to sit your 45th overall pick that you traded up for is unacceptable. Period. If you pick him that high he should be in your core group or you over paid and got bad value.

That being said, if all he ends up being is a match up based CB that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It just would make him a reach and a guy you should have stood pat for and taken no sooner than 56. If another team takes him before that then so be it.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

 

[Nehalem]

I am not really happy with it....yet. There is a lot of glitz in the draft so far, but I hate to see BB / Josh take a first round WR; they have a terrible track record with high-round WRs. BB just cannot bring himself to draft a WR who is not a Boy Scout, but great WRs do not come in that favor. And who knows what Josh was thinking with his bad picks at Denver.

I have other question marks. Cajuste was wearing two knee braces in a picture I saw of him and holding a DE. I love Joejuan, but is he fast enough? Winovich has the right attitude, but he does not look that strong.

Josh McDaniels WR draft picks in Denver

2009
5-141 Kenny McKinley

2010
1-22 Demaryius Thomas
3-87 Eric Decker

That actually seems like a pretty good track record in picking WR.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

It’s about competition.
JC is far from a lock as a cb2. Corner is definitely a position where you can look good at first and then not so much especially as your role expands. JMac is at an age where he could be gone at any time. We will see how Dawson goes. Crossen in is a fringe player very likely gone with this pick. J jones has a year left.
In a crazy FA market we just got a potentially good starting corner and will probably pay him less over 4 years than jones gets in 2020 and jones is a 50% of the snap guy at the very very best.

joejuan also could end at safety or play numerous roles in the secondary.

If you look to 2020 the corner depth is probably.
Gilmore
Joejuan
JC
Dawson
So as is usual bb makes a draft choice with next year in mind and gives the guy a shot to earn as much role as he can without being totally needed as a rookie in a need spot for year 2.

Good post.