We could have drafted a LT who might have started in 2025

[Wozzy]

Posters here believe that the LT's available were much better than Okorafor, so much better than the team should have passed on a WR they very much wanted.

Maybe your choice would have been a solid starter this year, pushing Okorafor to swing or to RT. Or maybe your choice would be the swing. Instead, we drafted a likely starting RT AND the team's choice at WR.
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I prefer what we did.
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Time and results will determine this.

The Chiefs and Dolphins thought the LT's available had value as starters, we'll see if they were correct. If their rookie tackles are starting and playing well, while Polk simply becomes a serviceable possession receiver, they were right and Wolf was wrong. By default a good starting left tackle is more important than a good WR.

Polk will have to become a superweapon to justify a high 2nd round pick. If he's the same player as Juju, Bourne or Osborn... that juice wasn't worth the squeeze.

But again... there's no use crying about it now, we've beaten this horse to death.

 

[Hyped]

Relax. 15 days to camp....and 30 days to real LIVE reps against another team....that is if we don't do any joint practices.

I think we will be fine...in fact...we will be better than most expect, IMO. I like Okalford, Wallace, and Anderson....think between the three of them...we should be OK at LT.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

trading up is always easy?

Didn't we try to trade into the first to get one of the top 8 OT's?

But, sure it is fair to compare Wallace to those a bit ahead and behind him in the draft. Wallace will likely be starter at OT, perhaps even this year. We'll check out all the OT's after the 2025 season.

For me, I'm fine with getting a probable starter at RT, understanding that he is a longshot to start at LT. Of course, whether we took Wallace or one of the others, we would still be in the market for a LT in the next off-season.

I don’t think it would be that hard moving up from 68 to 62. Maybe cost a 6th rounder, 5th max. If the guy is worth it then its an easy sacrifice. I think our FO really did its research on wallace though from what i read, a reach but they didn’t wanna miss out on him once the others went. Paul sounds like a project so i dont think he would have helped this year. Suamataia though i saw mocked pretty high prior to the draft.

 

[AQPE]

Right now it seems to me that the strategy the Pats have had this offseason is to accept that this year they will not be competing for the playoffs and thus the priority will be to develop the young players, Maye in particular, and retain veterans who can be competent on the field and leaders in the locker room. That sucks for season ticket holders but I can understand the rationale. If that is their attitude then I’m OK with them retaining guys like Onwenu, Duggar, and Henry, not trading out of early rounds, not overpaying for a guy like Jonah Williams or Jerry Jeudy his year. I am still hoping they sign a guy like Humphries who has a better history as an NFL LT than either Chuks or Anderson.

If we are still in the same boat next year, however, it will be a debacle

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Posters here believe that the LT's available were much better than Okorafor, so much better than the team should have passed on a WR they very much wanted.

Maybe your choice would have been a solid starter this year, pushing Okorafor to swing or to RT. Or maybe your choice would be the swing. Instead, we drafted a likely starting RT AND the team's choice at WR.
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I prefer what we did.
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That is partly true. I would add that the Pats first signed one of the weakest LTs in FA, who is really a RT, and then drafted a second RT in the third round. Prioritizing the WR over LT is OK with me.

The Pats also announced that the drafted RT would switch to LT. Neither Okorafor or Wallace are a LT. Wallace might be a good RT, but we already have a RT. Our only hope is that Anderson is fully healthy and can play LT, and there are not many injuries on the OL.

 

[PatsFan2]

Okorafor at LT is going to make me eat crow? OK dude. Good point. Great indepth analysis.

What's your Jersey size?? probably a small I'm getting you a Okorafor jersey.

 

[PatsFan2]

That is partly true. I would add that the Pats first signed one of the weakest LTs in FA, who is really a RT, and then drafted a second RT in the third round. Prioritizing the WR over LT is OK with me.

The Pats also announced that the drafted RT would switch to LT. Neither Okorafor or Robinson are a LT. Robinson might be a good RT, but we already have a RT. Our only hope is that Anderson is fully healthy and can play LT, and there are not many injuries on the OL.

You mean Wallace And not Robinson at RT right??

 

[dliverey44]

Okorafor at LT is going to make me eat crow? OK dude. Good point. Great indepth analysis.

Just food for thought, last year after the Browns LT got hurt Geron Christian came in and played 637 snaps and allowed 4 sacks. PFF rated him at 43.2 and their offense was still really good. I feel like Chuks cannot be worse that Christian, Christian was a free agent for quite awhile before the Titans signed him.

That makes me think that they are more comfortable with Chuk O than someone they watched start at LT last year.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

You mean Wallace And not Robinson at RT right??

Yes, my apology.

 

[Family]

They wanted another WR first but Buffalo took him, then they traded back and took Pollk. Clearly they were taking a WR second no matter what.

Right. Maybe the WR group had many players who were rated on their board ahead of OT's after the top few were taken.

It was considered a strong year for WR, and early reports on Polk are good.

There's no telling, if situations were reversed, they wouldn't have been all over OT like they were WR this year.

I'll cut Wolfe some slack.

 

[James Keddy]

I don't want Wolf to stop looking for left tackles. We should take advantage of the fact we
have third dibs on cut players. There are still a veteran or who demand big money.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Prioritizing WR over offensive tackle.

I think it was prioritizing a player they had rated higher on their board. OT got cleaned out in the first round, WR was stronger early in the 2nd.

 

[rkarp1]

-we do not know how the Pats had those OT's mentioned ranked. perhaps they had Wallace higher than Paul, Rosengarten, Sumataio, etc.
-seems to me Paul would not be a good fit given the run offense/block scheme the team supposedly wants to use
-having WR's that can get open off the LOS allowing the ball to come out quick is an OL saver. perhaps Polk and Baker, are that type WR

regardless, the OT positions will be better than last seasons uninterested Brown and over matched Lowe.

 

[Wozzy]

Right. Maybe the WR group had many players who were rated on their board ahead of OT's after the top few were taken.

It was considered a strong year for WR, and early reports on Polk are good.

There's no telling, if situations were reversed, they wouldn't have been all over OT like they were WR this year.

I'll cut Wolfe some slack.

I’ll cut him some slack if Polk becomes great.

If the tackles KC and Miami took become All Pros and Polk is thoroughly average I’ll be really annoyed.

 

[Wozzy]

I think it was prioritizing a player they had rated higher on their board. OT got cleaned out in the first round, WR was stronger early in the 2nd.

WR also got cleaned out… and this was considered a very deep draft class for offensive tackle. There were two blue chip guys left.. time and results will determine who was right or wrong.

 

[mgteich]

WR also got cleaned out… and this was considered a very deep draft class for offensive tackle. There were two blue chip guys left.. time and results will determine who was right or wrong.

You believe that two BLUE CHIP OT's were left after the first eight. Maybe we should take a poll. I certainly don't disagree. I don;t even think the last couple picked in the first round were blue chippers. Mims a blue chipper. NOT!

 

[Wozzy]

You believe that two BLUE CHIP OT's were left after the first eight. Maybe we should take a poll. I certainly don't disagree. I don;t even think the last couple picked in the first round were blue chippers. Mims a blue chipper. NOT!

I didn’t say Mims, though he is certainly a blue chip athlete. His lack of playing time in college scared the hell out of me though.

Patrick Paul and Kingsley Suamataia we’re both available, both were plus athletes and had functional strength to play this season. Miami took Paul, KC took Suamataia… we’ll see how they work out.

 

[mgteich]

I didn’t say Mims, though he is certainly a blue chip athlete. His lack of playing time in college scared the hell out of me though.

Patrick Paul and Kingsley Suamataia we’re both available, both were plus athletes and had functional strength to play this season. Miami took Paul, KC took Suamataia… we’ll see how they work out.

Yes we will.

I would note that Paul was picked at 55. Lots of teams waiting lots and lots of picks until they finally drafted Paul. GM's didn't rate Paul as anywhere near the value that you have him.

And I find a bit amusing that you think that players picked at 55 and later were clearly blue chippers.

Let's be clear, I'm not saying the Paul was a poor pick at 55,

 

[KCSVEN]

By default a good starting left tackle is more important than a good WR.

The facts and statistics say the exact opposite

 

[Wozzy]

Yes we will.

I would note that Paul was picked at 55. Lots of teams waiting lots and lots of picks until they finally drafted Paul. GM's didn't rate Paul as anywhere near the value that you have him.

And I find a bit amusing that you think that players picked at 55 and later were clearly blue chippers.

Let's be clear, I'm not saying the Paul was a poor pick at 55,

I find it amusing you believe draft position and talent are the same thing. Isaiah Pacheco was taken in the 7th round and ran the Chiefs to a championship…. draft position is irrelevant and the second round is one round removed from the first.

Patrick Paul went to the Senior Bowl and proved he belonged, not so different from other small school lineman like Logan Mankins. When Bill took Mankins Mel Kiper called it a massive reach… media draft experts are largely idiots and their rankings worthless.