3 of top 5 rookies from Patriots

[203Pat]

I have been as critical (or more) of Bill's drafting the last few years but this class looks to be a home run in the very early stages. Barmore looks like a stud, Mac looks like he has the potential to develop into a high end starter, and Stevenson looks like a workhorse power back that has been lacking since Blount left. It's nice to see Dugger slowly starting to make plays and Onwenu has shown he is a solid starter and versatile as well. Outside of those two the rest of the 2020 class looks like a mess.

 

[Toofy]

2019 is prolly the worst.

Harry , slowjuan, wino, stidham...

I hope one of wino or uche pan out... Massive regression.

 

[Biffins]

If that happens, I sure hope there is a successor for DMac. I think that over the course of a season, there are keys plays that he breaks up because of his speed and knowledge. Fans on here are sometimes down on him in recent years, but I don't discount what he brings to the team.

Still, those are the two biggest cap hits.

 

[RobertWeathers]

2019 is prolly the worst.

Harry , slowjuan, wino, stidham...

I hope one of wino or uche pan out... Massive regression.

No it isn't.

2019 included Damien Harris and a ProBowl punter.

Wino had 5+ sacks in back to back years. Hes been hurt. 3rd rd for that kind of production not a bust.

Cowart played 47% of the snaps last year. For a 5th rounder not bad. He is on IR

They hit on 4/10 picks which is about average.

Uche was 2020.

 

[condon84]

No it isn't.

2019 included Damien Harris and a ProBowl punter.

Wino had 5+ sacks in back to back years. Hes been hurt. 3rd rd for that kind of production not a bust.

Cowart played 47% of the snaps last year. For a 5th rounder not bad. He is on IR

They hit on 4/10 picks which is about average.

Uche was 2020.

Pats also got Jacobi(solid receiver) and Gunner (all pro returner) in 2019.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Pats also got Jacobi(solid receiver) and Gunner (all pro returner) in 2019.

Nice call pointing that out.

When it comes to acquiring talent, UFAs are sometimes (but never should be) overlooked during the draft process.

Just because a player wasn't chosen doesn't mean they can't play in the league.

 

[n6249c]

Might be nice, but just remember Philips is also a FA this year, no guarantee he’ll be back.

Part of what I was expressing is my hope that he will be back, next year and a few more beyond that.

From this it sounds like Belichick would take him back, if he’s affordable.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Mac for sure, #1, but Rhamondre Stevenson is a Bad bad man i.m.o. Did you see the run he had which was called back for holding in Atlanta game. Doesn't he remind you of Curtis Martin first year? Man this guy hit's the brakes, shift's a gear, turns hard right and he stiff arms his way for 30+ yards. Case close, drop the mic.

We've had some great rookies.

Jim Nance only took off in his second season.

Carl Garrett: 1969 AFL ROY
Jim Plunkett: 1971 AFC ROY
Mike Haynes: 1976 UPI AFC ROY/NFL DEF ROY
John Stephens: 1988 NFL OFF ROY
Leonard Russell: 1991 NFL OFF ROY
Curtis Martin: 1995 NFL OFF ROY

Stephens was a beast in '88. Moved the pile, punished the defense, wouldn't go down. AND with breakaway speed. He got hurt and was never the same.

 

[Toofy]

No it isn't.

2019 included Damien Harris and a ProBowl punter.

Wino had 5+ sacks in back to back years. Hes been hurt. 3rd rd for that kind of production not a bust.

Cowart played 47% of the snaps last year. For a 5th rounder not bad. He is on IR

They hit on 4/10 picks which is about average.

Uche was 2020.

I remembered Harris after I typed. Still felt it could have been better considering the limited outcomes of first 2rounders.

Undrafted is luck of the draw. We wouldn't have waited so long to draft them if we rated them highly. Gunner n Meyers performance is credit to them more than the evaluation. In the broader scheme it works. But yeah in retrospect a decent draft and not a bust.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I remembered Harris after I typed. Still felt it could have been better considering the limited outcomes of first 2rounders.

Undrafted is luck of the draw. We wouldn't have waited so long to draft them if we rated them highly. Gunner n Meyers performance is credit to them more than the evaluation. In the broader scheme it works. But yeah in retrospect a decent draft and not a bust.

Can't really miss on R1 in Harry and Rd 2 in JuJuan.

So yea, not a disaster but a missed opportunity

 

[stinkypete]

Can't really miss on R1 in Harry and Rd 2 in JuJuan.

So yea, not a disaster but a missed opportunity

I hear you authored the original Port Huron statement, not the compromised second draft.

 

[mgteich]

I'm very excited about how the roster will look when we get McCourty and Hightower's massive dinosaur contracts off our books next year.

not as good as when we have Hightower and McCourty playing.

 

[Brotherblues]

Nice recognition, but godly these ~breakdowns were... oof

Dollar store stuff, but it was praising our rookies so it was awesome.

 

[Brotherblues]

I'm very excited about how the roster will look when we get McCourty and Hightower's massive dinosaur contracts off our books next year.

Excited? I'm scared to see our defensive backfield without DMac.

 

[PScottman]

I'm very excited about how the roster will look when we get McCourty and Hightower's massive dinosaur contracts off our books next year.

Excited?

Interesting word choice.

There's no question that the need to have a succession plan in place to replace two titans (sorry, was the best word despite who the Pats play this week) of the franchise, but after slow starts both are playing well again meaning that replacement will be more difficult whether compared to ability or money (or worse, both).

Now throw in leadership, which I believe for both is a massively underrated aspect they both possess, and there is actually very little excitement to be had from my perspective unless it's simply the little tingle of "the Patriots can go sign this "name" guy!"

But then I'm not a fantasy, draftnik, free agent wonk - I much prefer the in-season to the off-season, but that's just me.

 

[DarrylS]

From my couch Hightower and McCourty are playing well, but are "coaches" on the field and both have outstanding football instincts...

Back to the topic at hand; Jones, Barmore & Stevenson were excellent draft choices made by a coach who "did not know how to draft" or "the game had passed by"... 20+ years of success, except last year, one might deduce that BB is very good a building a team. Interestingly Jones (#15), Barmore (#38) were both relatively high draft choices, something that BB usually does no have the luxury of. Jones(23), Barmore(22) and Stevenson(23) are all a little bit "older" for rookies..

 

[Brotherblues]

Nice call pointing that out.

When it comes to acquiring talent, UFAs are sometimes (but never should be) overlooked during the draft process.

Just because a player wasn't chosen doesn't mean they can't play in the league.

I'd say just because they weren't picked doesn't mean they weren't part of the draft class. Those guys were in the scouting and drafting process. It's not like the Pats braintrust looks at each other scratching their heads after the draft like "Do we know anything about any of the undrafted guys? Somebody check ESPN to see who Kiper thinks we should grab."

Basically undrafted just means rounds 8 and onward are in a free for all format, and very much still part of a draft class.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'd say just because they weren't picked doesn't mean they weren't part of the draft class. Those guys were in the scouting and drafting process. It's not like the Pats braintrust looks at each other scratching their heads after the draft like "Do we know anything about any of the undrafted guys? Somebody check ESPN to see who Kiper thinks we should grab."

Basically undrafted just means rounds 8 and onward are in a free for all format, and very much still part of a draft class.

Exactly. Every situation is different.

Just look at JC Jackson. Everyone knew who he was. He went to the combine and had a pro day. He produced at Florida. He produced at Maryland. I believe if he hadn't gotten involved in the 2 armed robberies and stayed at Florida he would have been on almost every team's big board.

All the NEP did was buy a Powerball ticket and it cashed in. Now it's JC who will actually win it

 

[jah]

From my couch Hightower and McCourty are playing well, but are "coaches" on the field and both have outstanding football instincts...

Back to the topic at hand; Jones, Barmore & Stevenson were excellent draft choices made by a coach who "did not know how to draft" or "the game had passed by"... 20+ years of success, except last year, one might deduce that BB is very good a building a team. Interestingly Jones (#15), Barmore (#38) were both relatively high draft choices, something that BB usually does no have the luxury of. Jones(23), Barmore(22) and Stevenson(23) are all a little bit "older" for rookies..

I wouldn't call 22 "old" for a rookie when 21 is definitely "young" for a rookie. 22-23 has been the norm as long as I've been paying attention, and it makes intuitive sense when you consider a lot of these guys entered college at 18 and spent 4-5 years there.

 

[Triumph]

Great drafting by the Patriots. But Jones is not ROTY. That would be Ja'Marr Chase.

Or Jonathan Taylor