Harry to Chicago for 2024 7th rounder

[italian pat patriot]

Anyway it is terrible...a 1round pick...and now we get a future 7...
Honestly this is atrocious...not so much to celebrate...

 

[bresna]

I don’t know about “great”, but he looked decent against Detroit before he got injured on what looked like something that shouldn’t have kept him out for as long as it did. He injured his hammy in practice then he injured his ankle from that game. He was never the same.

I should've put the word great in quotes "" as it was the poster I was quoting that said he had a great training camp.

 

[Sicilian]

Anyway it is terrible...a 1round pick...and now we get a future 7...
Honestly this is atrocious...not so much to celebrate...

It's always better to celebrate moving on from a mistake, rather than assume it's possible to never make them.

 

[italian pat patriot]

It's always better to celebrate moving on from a mistake, rather than assume it's possible to never make them.

No doubt but it was a BIG one imho

 

[crawhammer]

Nobody is tougher on BB the GM as me, but even I would give the Branch pick an "A", not only was he a Superbowl MVP, but BB managed to trade him for a 1st rd pick, and he returned to assist in another Superbowl run.

That's fair. I went with the B+ because in his best season statistically Branch finished 16th in receptions and 21st in receiving yards. In no other season did he finish top 20 in either. Obviously he never made the pro bowl. He missed a lot of games due to injury, so durability wasn't an asset. He was great in SB's 38 & 39. B+/A- is reasonable. Not prolific enough for an A+.

Dobson and Bethel Johnson were not D, both were contributors for multiple seasons, change to C+.

Aaron Dobson is the definition of a 2nd round bust. His career starts (13) didn't even make one full season. His best game, arguably his only good of his very short career, came in a complete blowout. He had 2 postseason receptions for a team that made the postseason every season. Dobson sucked.

Dido on Bethel Johnson, 2nd round bust. He was even less productive as a receiver than Dobson, so much so that he almost shouldn't even count as having been a WR. He had more than 2 receptions in a game just once. He gave us a few flashy kickoff returns, otherwise he was a 0.

Malcom Mitchell helped us win a SB, so that C- should be at worst a B.

One season. His NFL career was 1 season. I thought the C- was generous.

Asiasi and Keene are both TBD.

The TBD goes way after 2 seasons. Neither one of these TEs will ever meaningfully contribute to the team imo. Nor do they have futures in the NFL.

Picks lower than 4th round that didn't work out should not be included.

But we're counting the ones that worked? By that logic picks higher than the 4th round that did work out should not be included either.

I'd say Jordan Richards is probably the worst BB pick. Drafted 5 rounds too early. For real.

Agreed on Richards being the worst when considering all positions. I don't think I've ever seen a professional football player look so overmatched on the field. I can't understand how this clown actually started 12 games for Atlanta in 2018... how bad was that defense?

Hernandez is weird to grade too. A-grade if looking at it from a football perspective. With the other stuff I'd go with F.

He obviously had tremendous potential as a football player. However, given the red flags on him and the reported number of teams that didn't include him on their draft boards, they probably should have stayed away from the pick.

Hernandez was easily an A for his play on the field. Giving him the "D" grade that's one grade higher than guys who never played is bizarre.

You can't discount his career abruptly ending for murder. I mean he killed at least 3 people with a 4th lucky to be alive. Ultimately Hernandez was a disaster for the franchise.

Nobody else noticed Ben Watson wasn't listed as a 1st rounder. He gets a B with Graham getting a B-. And as others pointed out, Thornton wasn't a 1st rounder.

Right, I forgot Ben Watson. He didn't have a 1st round career. More like a mid-rounder career, nothing special. C.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Anyway it is terrible...a 1round pick...and now we get a future 7...
Honestly this is atrocious...not so much to celebrate...

Porco miseria butana

 

[captain stone]

I like the trade for both teams. Bears get a high ceiling player who has shown flashes for next to nothing. Pats needed to get rid of the distraction.

Yep... Well except for the high-ceiling part, that is...

 

[italian pat patriot]

A little OT...

Porco miseria butana

One of the three is 100% right
But also the other 2 are quite clear

Lol

 

[captain stone]

Could be. I think it was definitely the worst outcome compared to what could have been… though I can’t recall too many experts criticize the pick when it was made. I don’t remember the Easley pick getting good reviews when it was made then injuries did him in.

I hated the Easley pick from the moment it was announced... Damaged goods already, rehabs with his homies in the 'hood instead of college...Too small for a DT, even for a 3-Tech because of his compromised explosiveness... Talk of motivation issues etc... I would not have looked for him until the 2nd-rounder used for Jimmy G.

I liked the idea of drafting Harry because of our need for a WR after Cooks was traded the year before... Unfortunately I tried one more (and as it turned out to be, the final) time to IBIT... Never, Ever Again.

I am still 50/50 on whether it is Harry or Easley.

Easley for me, because practically Everyone in the World agreed (except for Billy & Mike Lombardi) that he Never should've been taken so soon.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Cole Strange has some serious potential.

Good thing is we can hang our hopes on IOL being almost bulletproof early on. They tend to hit. We probably won't hit a homerun, hopefully a solid RBI double lol.

I think this draft's ceiling comes down to Thornton being , the Jones bros and Strong being a real RB2 by year two.

Bill always has interesting drafts and this might be the most of the bunch.

 

[SteveKiner]

Okay, everybody got what they wanted. So can we agree to let Ras-I Dowling enjoy the rest of his life and drop any references to him being the biggest bust in Patriots' draft history? Please?

The Patriots should add a wing to their Hall of Fame for guys who just didn't quite live up to expectations - you know, Ochocinco, Rod Rust, N'Keal Harry, Victor Kiam, Hart Lee Dykes, etc.

Ken Sims says hi!

Harry is certainly among the worst but there are many contenders through the Pats history. Especially in the pre-Belichick era
Ken Sims was actually a serviceable player much like Malcolm Brown. He just wasn't the beast he was hyped as. The drugs problem might have had something to do with it.
Other names that should be brought up for first rounders
1st rounder 6th overall Dennis Byrd. The Pats called him to tell him he was drafted by them when he was recovering after knee surgery. Ooops!
Did end up playing 1 year for them
1st rounder 4th overall Phil Olson. Got hurt in the College All Star game. Knee. was never the same player. Never played for the Pats. At least they were able to trade him for a 1st.
Back then, with medicine being what is was, knee problems were much more serious.
1st rounder 29th overall Cris Canty. Started 10 games over 2 seasons for the Pats. I just hated him after watching him celebrate a big hit in preseason by strutting around while the live ball laid on the field. he had caused a fumble but was too unaware to realize it.
At least the 1st 2 had injuries derail their careers. Not sure N'Keal harry can say that.

 

[ralmat55]

Ken Sims says hi!

Hey! My guy was more productive than Harry. He just wasn’t a good practice player or able to stay healthy.

Plus, what about the DL from Florida taken in the 2014 first round who came into the league having had ACL surgeries on both knees, suffering from fibromyalgia and not fitting the Patriots defensive system at all? Dominique Easley was the worst pick of the BB era not Harry or my namesake.

I chose my screen name not because Sims was a favorite player or anything. It’s just my ode to the foolishness of hype. Especially, the hype surrounding can’t miss prospects like the consensus 1st overall pick of the 1982 draft who was going to be the next Joe Greene and Bubba Smith rolled into one.

That was also the last time I rooted for the Patriots to lose just to gain “all important draft position “. I remember yelling at the TV for a Patriot player who just caught a long pass in the closing seconds of the clinching loss to the Colts to just lay on the field until time expired. Oh well, it could have been worse, the Colts with the 2nd overall pick selected a QB from Ohio State who spent more time in prison than in the NFL. Good times!

 

[Deus Irae]

Hey! My guy was more productive than Harry. He just wasn’t a good practice player or able to stay healthy.

Plus, what about the DL from Florida taken in the 2014 first round who came into the league having had ACL surgeries on both knees, suffering from fibromyalgia and not fitting the Patriots defensive system at all? Dominique Easley was the worst pick of the BB era not Harry or my namesake.

I chose my screen name not because Sims was a favorite player or anything. It’s just my ode to the foolishness of hype. Especially, the hype surrounding can’t miss prospects like the consensus 1st overall pick of the 1982 draft who was going to be the next Joe Greene and Bubba Smith rolled into one.

That was also the last time I rooted for the Patriots to lose just to gain “all important draft position “. I remember yelling at the TV for a Patriot player who just caught a long pass in the closing seconds of the clinching loss to the Colts to just lay on the field until time expired. Oh well, it could have been worse, the Colts with the 2nd overall pick selected a QB from Ohio State who spent more time in prison than in the NFL. Good times!

IMO...



There are 4 contenders for worst draft pick of the BB era:

Jackson
Dowling
Easley
Harry

Of the four, only Harry doesn't have an injury excuse. Of the four, Harry is, far and away, the one with the most superior players at his position coming up close behind him in the draft.

When you look at the whole thing, Harry's the worst pick. I don't really think it's even close, because I do give scoring/rating breaks for injuries, but that part's a bit more arguable.

 

[goheels22002]

Easley was the worse pick given he supposedly had a really bad attitude and had more opportunities than Harry - yet still was invisible.

But Ras I Dowling is my worst pick given Bill had all night to think about it rather than on a very short time limit. He took a guy with multiple major injuries since High School.

I was watching and waiting, and @TheRainMaker came through with flying colors. Which was worse? Ras-I Dowling at #33 in the draft or N'Keal Harry at #32? Extra credit is permissible depending on whether you prefer hyphens or apostrophes in one's first name.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

I have to vote for Easley because of the epic scouting failure. Easley played alongside Carlos Dunlap at Florida. So whoever scouted Easley MUST have seen Dunlap! Dunlap played the same position, was clearly better in college, went with the very next pick AFTER Easly. Of course Dunlap has had a stellar career and is a UFA right now, made numerous Pro Bowls and would have been a fixture on the Pats DL for years (maybe still)

Meanwhile, Easley never amounted to anything and his pit bulls took him out of the league.

Anyone can miss on a draft pick, but how can anyone watch that Florida tape and think in any way shape or form that Easley was going to be a better player than Dunlap. This one, and trading away Chandler Jones are the two BB moves that still bewilder me.

 

[TheRainMaker]

IMO...



There are 4 contenders for worst draft pick of the BB era:

Jackson
Dowling
Easley
Harry

Of the four, only Harry doesn't have an injury excuse. Of the four, Harry is, far and away, the one with the most superior players at his position coming up close behind him in the draft.

When you look at the whole thing, Harry's the worst pick. I don't really think it's even close, because I do give scoring/rating breaks for injuries, but that part's a bit more arguable.

What about Jordan Richards? Joejuan Williams?

I was watching and waiting, and @TheRainMaker came through with flying colors. Which was worse? Ras-I Dowling at #33 in the draft or N'Keal Harry at #32? Extra credit is permissible depending on whether you prefer hyphens or apostrophes in one's first name.

The board seems to stick up for Ras-IR Dowling.

 

[Deus Irae]

I have to vote for Easley because of the epic scouting failure. Easley played alongside Carlos Dunlap at Florida. So whoever scouted Easley MUST have seen Dunlap! Dunlap played the same position, was clearly better in college, went with the very next pick AFTER Easly. Of course Dunlap has had a stellar career and is a UFA right now, made numerous Pro Bowls and would have been a fixture on the Pats DL for years (maybe still)

Meanwhile, Easley never amounted to anything and his pit bulls took him out of the league.

Anyone can miss on a draft pick, but how can anyone watch that Florida tape and think in any way shape or form that Easley was going to be a better player than Dunlap. This one, and trading away Chandler Jones are the two BB moves that still bewilder me.

You're confusing Easley with Jermaine Cunningham.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Hey! My guy was more productive than Harry. He just wasn’t a good practice player or able to stay healthy.

Well, yes, but he was the number one player in THE WHOLE DARNED DRAFT. That's the position that you draft Peyton Manning, Drew Bledsoe or, at least, Marcus Allen.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I have to vote for Easley because of the epic scouting failure. Easley played alongside Carlos Dunlap at Florida. So whoever scouted Easley MUST have seen Dunlap! Dunlap played the same position, was clearly better in college, went with the very next pick AFTER Easly. Of course Dunlap has had a stellar career and is a UFA right now, made numerous Pro Bowls and would have been a fixture on the Pats DL for years (maybe still)

Meanwhile, Easley never amounted to anything and his pit bulls took him out of the league.

Anyone can miss on a draft pick, but how can anyone watch that Florida tape and think in any way shape or form that Easley was going to be a better player than Dunlap. This one, and trading away Chandler Jones are the two BB moves that still bewilder me.

@Deus Irae beat me to it. The reason Bill took Cunningham over Dunlap was because he wanted to continue running a 3-4 and Cunningham was viewed as an OLB. It sucks because they switched to a 4-3 the following year. Who knows if they still would've taken Cunningham knowing this.

 

[Deus Irae]

What about Jordan Richards? Joejuan Williams?

The board seems to stick up for Ras-IR Dowling.

1. Richards was a stiff as a regular player, but he lasted 7 years in the league.
2. Williams was taken at 45, not up in the 30's or in the first round.

Dowling was a bad injury gamble from the start, and that was the knock on him here on the board. And, again, I take injury into consideration. It's why I give the Mitchell pick a good grade even though he washed out quickly because of his knee.