So how do you grade this year’s draft?

[Joker]

Again, McMillan, McGrone, Peppers, and Wilson say hi.

Raekwon McMillan runs official 4.61 40-yard dash - NFL.com...pedestrian...ZERO sacks in his 4 years in the league

McGrone? hasn't even take a snap in preseason yet and on the mend from an ACL..a 5th round pick meant for ST's is suddenly going to START for the Pats at LB this season?

Peppers is a SAFETY...not a speedy LB says hi

Wilson ran a 4.71 40-yard dash at his pro day. Jamie Collins is 20 pounds heavier and ran a 4.67...

LOOK at the top 15 teams in the NFL and their LB corps...and then look at THIS group of question marks...not good​

 

[stcjones]

I’ll wait till they play a down in the nfl.
Yes, I am that guy

Agreed. But coming into the draft we had several areas of definite need. Couldn’t stop the run, struggled frequently against the pass….lost JC and key LB/D players……struggled with WR corps as well…..DID WE Adequately fill those needs with draft this year( of course some FA signings did help WR wise….but needed some key players added via draft)…..I just don’t feel like we really addressed the needs facing the team enough….thus my grades….thanks

 

[stcjones]

Asks a guy named jones

We're on to you

Very nice….

 

[Nunchucks]

I dont know, i feel like the NT position needs serious help and that the DL is going to get the undersized lbs and hybrid safeties beat up by guards and TEs

 

[stcjones]

Bills fans laughing at us. For good cause.



Now consider what the Chiefs did to revamp their defense. They were serious.
Hey
I still don’t think the Bills will be doing much punting against us.

The draft was a dreadful mess with a couple of bright red apples like Marcus Jones and Andrew Steuber.

Yeah other teams had MUCH better drafts than us and seriously addressed areas of NEED and took appropriate players (highest ranked for most part) for those needs than we did. Bills definitely got better and stronger than us…..Jete had a great draft ….but will they DO ANYTHING with it!? Pats underwhelmed…..imho

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I can not tell who will translate so I look for simpler things. Last year I noticed that guys, like Rhamondre, looked like fluid natural athletes. Previously I thought Michel and Harry looked a bit awkward when running, for example Michel seemed to have very short choppy steps without smooth cuts. This year Strange, Thornton, Jones, and Strong all run well in their highlights, looking very smooth and natural as they run and cut. Their natural speed and quickness translates to football speed in their highlights.

Last year and this year's draft class both look different from previous years, so I give this draft a B. I wonder what, if anything, we are going to do at DT and DE.

Little known fact that I have not seen anywhere on PatsFans is that Cole Strange's college number was 69. Should be a fan favorite.

 

[Zuma]

Raekwon McMillan runs official 4.61 40-yard dash - NFL.com...pedestrian...ZERO sacks in his 4 years in the league​

McGrone? hasn't even take a snap in preseason yet and on the mend from an ACL..a 5th round pick meant for ST's is suddenly going to START for the Pats at LB this season?​

Peppers is a SAFETY...not a speedy LB says hi​

Wilson ran a 4.71 40-yard dash at his pro day. Jamie Collins is 20 pounds heavier and ran a 4.67...​

LOOK at the top 15 teams in the NFL and their LB corps...and then look at THIS group of question marks...not good​

Bro c'mon...was a coaching mistake not playing these guys more (but injury in some cases played a part). I fully expect Judon, Bentley, McMillan, McGrone, Uche, Wilson to hold the fort. The SS' will play there part. We have fast LB's already on the roster.



Ok the sarcasm force is strong with you

 

[stcjones]

I actually gave up on the draft. I think BB might need a cognitive test. The first pick was a complete failure, reaching for a 3rd round guard from Div 3, when there were plenty of good SEC defensive players available.

I can see taking the fastest WR in the second round, but still Dean fell and they should have jumped on him.

All those good Alabama and Georgia defensive players and BB took none of them.

The only pick that made any sense was the (first) RB, the kid from South Dakota, he might be the real thing.

I can live with the first Jones pick, and then the train came off the rails.

The second RB? A QB? None of it makes sense.

This draft was a complete failure.

I give it a F

I won’t go that low with grade….but I agree with a lot of what you said….thx

 

[Pape]

there was a lot to like about this draft

1. it pissed a ton of people off
2. it went against convention
3. it actually filled needs
4. did i mention i it pissed people off? which is a positive


Give this one a B

 

[mgteich]

Mcgrone, Perkins and Jennings….I never saw it as a real need

and McMillan

 

[State]

I can understand needing a LG who is smart and tough, almost like an enforcer. The guys playing in the Patriots Oline are too nice. Like teddy bears.

But Cole Strange a couple of rounds later.

We should definitely have addressed the defense first. And I wholeheartedly endorse the trade down from 21 to 29.

Why we didn’t pick one of Travis Jones or George Karlaftis or Daxton Hill or Andrew Booth just baffles me.

 

[PatsWSB47]

C until proven otherwise

 

[mgteich]

Why we didn’t pick one of Travis Jones or George Karlaftis or Daxton Hill or Andrew Booth just baffles me.

Yes, Bill might have picked a 6th LB to compete with the others instead of the 3rd best OG in the draft and hoped he was still there at 54. We then could have had one of the defenders instead of a WR.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Initial thoughts were the when of some of these players. After some thought I was like wtf do I care where these players were drafted? Needs were filled, speed was finally addressed at a few positions. Disappointed they didnt get that coveted LB or DT but it is what it is. No grade here, I find it to be useless at this point. Have no way knowing which early or late picks will shine or bust.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Aside from head-scratchers, I'd say this was fairly solid. B for me. We needed OL (specifically LG), a downfield threat at WR, another RB since our guys miss time with injury, a backup QB, a slot corner who can help stop the deep overs, and a return specialist with ours gone. We got all those players. I would have also liked to see DT/EDGE, and I'll quibble about a few of the specific players and the value of taking them where we did, but in terms of positional stability or upgrades, I think we did quite well. I'm looking forward to seeing them in action.

 

[Toofy]

universally everyone has panned the patriots draft. not a single voice of acceptance. understand the draft is a crapshoot, but wanted to know if there have been instances where universally panned draft turns out to be a solid one. not even a single voice of support for our draft. the highest grade i could find is a C+.

 

[Sully]

Praying Thornton can play. Would kill to finally get a good receiver for once

 

[PowerRunRevival]

My gut reaction is C. Mostly because the players they drafted were low on consensus media boards and that effects my initial reaction on the picks.

They moved up to select a couple of their picks so it seems like they had intel that someone else might move up to grab their player. This evidence is extremely divergent from most media boards.

Since the Pats have more information than I do I try to judge drafts by what positions and traits are drafted. The took care of most of their positions of need, and added speed to a team in desperate need of it. I could see this draft ending up being a great one but that’s not my gut reaction.

 

[mgteich]

solid B.
We just don't A's to a team without a pick in the first half of the first round, when the studs are picked.
==========
The basic difference between me and several others apparently is with regard to needs and how to meet them.
============
OFFENSE
We got a starting LG, a solid WR (greatly needed for 2023), a #4 RB (greatly needed for 2023), and #2 QB.
In addition, we took three possible developmental players late, at RB, OT, and OG/C.

If you all didn't think that we needed help on Offense to compete in 2022, and 2023, I just don't know what to say, except that I strongly disagree.

We do still need to sign a veteran OL or two,
==================
DEFENSE

SECONDARY
So, far Belichick has signed McCourty, Mitchell, Peppers and Butler. He has drafted Jones and Jones. In addition, nickel back Jones in coming back for IR. But for some folks, this wasn't nearly enough.

FRONT SIX
I guess that Belichick just disagrees with many posters. He thinks that just maybe it enough to add Anderson, Perkins, McGrone, Mitchell and Wilson for help in 2022. And we might even still get help from Uche or Jennings.

Also, Peppers played more LB than DB in the past. Perhaps, he should be considered a LB.

The front doesn't meet message board standards. I guess that we allowed many too many points last year. And since we lost the Buffalo game, we should have realized that we were so terrible that whole DL should have been fired and replaced by 4th and 5th rounders.
============
SPECIAL TEAMS
We drafted one of the best returners in the league.
=====================
THAT BEING SAID
The offseason is NOT over. As he does every year, I expect Belichick to add players, hopefully a couple in the defensive front six.

BOTTOM LINE
We've added Wilson. We will look much better after another Front Six addition or two. That is really a very impressive position to be in at this point. My choices would be to sign Flowers and Hicks; I expect that Belichick's choices may be different. Obviously, others may be available before camp, after camp and even after the season starts, in free agency and in trade.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

D+