Mayoclinic Thoughts

[mayoclinic]

There is just no way they take Mike Green given the allegations against him and everything Vrabel has said about wanting to reset the culture.

You may well be right. But from my perspective, you sometimes need to take risks to add elite talent. I thought Simmons was elite enough to warrant the risk, if his medicals checked out. ai think Mike Green is elite enough at this point for a reach.

Re "resetting the culture", I'd differentiate between on-field and off-field issues. You want tough, hard working, high motor players. Green is all of that. You don't need choirboys. Obviously the assault issue deserves diligence, but it's not necessarily a show-stopper IMO.

 

[manxman2601]

To draft Mike Green teams had to believe:

1. Allegations of sexual assault in both high school and college plus suspension from his first college team just amount to a run of extraordinary bad luck and represent no future character risk;

2. The player is valuable enough to be worth turning all the fan and media excitement over your draft into a firestorm over issue 1, plus the possibility that future unflattering details come out that will put pressure on you to cut him.

Not surprising nobody bit in round one, but the deeper we go into the draft the more the scales will tip.

Even without Green, there’s a lot of tempting talent on the board at edge, we, db, te and rb. I expect watching targets vanish in round 2 is going to be more painful than round 1.

I don't expect Green to be the pick like you. I think WR is most likely but Scourton and Ezeiruaku have to be tempting as is Henderson and Mason Taylor. Unless they have a high grade on any of those or Jayden Higgins, this is the spot where a trade back makes sense. They could trade back five to ten spots and still get a quality pick.

The other thing to bear in mind is that there could be a mini run on CBs as there's a significant drop off after Amos, Revel, Morrison and Johnson so all four could go early day two.

 

[patsfaninpa]

I’ll stand by what I hoped pre draft.
38 Mason Taylor
Move up for J. Noel
78 Trapilo

 

[mayoclinic]

Substitute Femi Oladejo at 77 and I'd be thrilled.

I don't think I'd spend all of 4, 38, 69 (with a trade up) and 77 on offense. Oladejo could be used a lot like Jalon Walker. I'd also give the Campbell experiment a year before investing more in the position - the Pats made their bed, let them sleep in it.

 

[Rdforty2]

Substitute Femi Oladejo at 77 and I'd be thrilled.

I don't think I'd spend all of 4, 38, 69 (with a trade up) and 77 on offense. Oladejo could be used a lot like Jalon Walker. I'd also give the Campbell experiment a year before investing more in the position - the Pats made their bed, let them sleep in it.

It wasn't the plan going in. I figured the 3rd round was a great place to get a DE and DT to really have a strong defensive front. Building a defense can come together quicker than the offense.

But it's also exciting thinking about adding two big play guys to the offense.

 

[mayoclinic]

Great day 2, 3 solid picks, plus some extra draft capital. There were so many good players in this draft, would have been happy with lots of combos. But can't realistically expect more than what they accomplished.

Wanted a borderline 1st round talent at 38. and got it. Mike Green and Will Johnson highest graded players at that point, but huge red flags on both. Luther Burden also with flags. Mason Taylor or Elijah Arroyo would have been fine, but can't quibble with the pick.

Would have been tempted by Azaraye'h Thomas (73) or Shavon Revel (76) if they lasted till 77, but you can't get everyone. Equally content with Jared Wilson at 95 plus the extra picks.

No reaches, FO performed like a pro FO should. A confidence-building 2 rounds. Hopefully the days of Ron Brace and Jordan Richards in the 2nd round are behind us.

If Campbell works out, an A+ draft so far. Fingers crossed.

Tons of talent left for day 3. Hopefully the focus is on developmental talent on defense.

 

[mayoclinic]

I’ll stand by what I hoped pre draft.
38 Mason Taylor
Move up for J. Noel
78 Trapilo

So instead the Pats got:

38 TreVeyon Henderson. Similar caliber talent to Mason Taylor, who was available.

69 Kyle Williams. Similar player to Jaylin Noel, who was available. No trade-up required.

95 Jared Wilson. Similar caliber talent to Ozzy Trapilo, C a bigger need than another OT. Plus 2025 5th and 2026 4th round picks.

 

[mayoclinic]

Also, discovered that Manxman2601 is apparently Mike Vrabel's secret Patsfans account.

 

[mayoclinic]

Players I'm most disappointed at missing out on:

1. Josh Simmons. Duh.
2. Jalen Walker.
3. Oluwafemi Oladejo. 38 was too high and didn't see him lasting to 69, but I think he could be special.

 

[mayoclinic]

Most encouraging things to me from this draft:

1. Right or wrong, the FO seems to have a very clear vision of what they are looking for. Every player very "clean", tough, athletic, hard worker, bit of a chip on their shoulder. All 4 players very consistent from a team-building / culture point of view.

2. The FO seems to be able to execute with good precision, in both FA and the draft. For the most part, they seem to be landing targeted players.

Some Day 3 players who I think might fit the mold:

- EDGE Braden Swinson
- EDGE Jack Sawyer
- EDGE Kyle Kinnard
- DL Josh Farmer
- DT Ty Robinson
- DT JJ Pegues
- LB Jeffrey Bassa
- OT Logan Brown
- RB Lequint Allen
- LB/EDGE Que Robinson
- LB Ruben Hippolyte

There are lots of other very good prospects, but somevof the above would be very nice.

One outlier: Deone Walker is one of the most physically gifted prospects in this draft. He was much better in 2023 than in 2024. I don't see him fitting the Vrabel mold, but if they were somehow able to coach him ...

 

[Rdforty2]

Most encouraging things to me from this draft:

1. Right or wrong, the FO seems to have a very clear vision of what they are looking for. Every player very "clean", tough, athletic, hard worker, bit of a chip on their shoulder. All 4 players very consistent from a team-building / culture point of view.

2. The FO seems to be able to execute with good precision, in both FA and the draft. For the most part, they seem to be landing targeted players.

Some Day 3 players who I think might fit the mold:

- EDGE Braden Swinson
- EDGE Jack Sawyer
- EDGE Kyle Kinnard
- DL Josh Farmer
- DT Ty Robinson
- DT JJ Pegues
- LB Jeffrey Bassa
- OT Logan Brown
- RB Lequint Allen
- LB/EDGE Que Robinson
- LB Ruben Hippolyte

There are lots of other very good prospects, but somevof the above would be very nice.

One outlier: Deone Walker is one of the most physically gifted prospects in this draft. He was much better in 2023 than in 2024. I don't see him fitting the Vrabel mold, but if they were somehow able to coach him ...

Walker is interesting. 100% projection ans going back to '23 tape. He just turned 21. The frame is outstanding. He played better and more athletic in '23. More of a disruptor than a run plugged, but with that bulk and length, he can clog running lanes. Was the dip in performance because of the back injury? It makes sense. But is the back injury something to worry about happening again?

I'd take the gamble in the 5th if he makes it that far. Reward far outweighs the risk.

At 106, I'm looking at Sawyer, Farmer, or Kennard. Tory Horton BPA but don't know if we go back go that well.

Damien Martinez for added depth at RB would be nice. Getting the playmaker already allows them to go for another hammer at the position. If Rhamondre can hold in to the ball, Martinez could take his spot.

 

[Joey007]

Wow, welcome back!! I’m glad to see you’re still with us!

 

[Joey007]

In part and also I became really frustrated with BB’s drafts. They weren’t fun. Now I feel like I can worry less about random DBs drafted in the 2nd round, WRs guaranteed to fail (although last year wasn’t a good sign we’ll see improvement there) and two-gapping DLs.

This is exactly how I’m feeling. You feel like you head into every pick and could reasonably guess who we may go after.

 

[manxman2601]

This is exactly how I’m feeling. You feel like you head into every pick and could reasonably guess who we may go after.

Yup. Last night felt 'normal'.

 

[Joey007]

Yup. Last night felt 'normal'.

These were best players available. Every player we took felt like they feasibly could’ve been taken even earlier.

 

[manxman2601]

These were best players available. Every player we took felt like they feasibly could’ve been taken even earlier.

Sshh, don't tell @One-If-By-Sea . He'll feel vindicated and get all ****y.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Sshh, don't tell @One-If-By-Sea . He'll feel vindicated and get all ****y.

As long as people recognize BPA is the way to draft I am happy. I am a team player. Glad to teach the team. Fill holes in FA, draft BPA. Really simple.

 

[manxman2601]

Sshh, don't tell @One-If-By-Sea . He'll feel vindicated and get all ****y.

As long as people recognize BPA is the way to draft I am happy. I am a team player. Glad to teach the team. Fill holes in FA, draft BPA. Really simple.

Too late

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Too late

Damn. I am always a day late, and a dollar short. Even my dog ran away.

 

[mayoclinic]

106. Craig Woodson, S.
137. Josh Farmer, DT.
146. Braden Swinson, EDGE. Congrats, Manx.

A+ so far. Farmer or Swinson could have been picked at 77, without much argument.

If the Pats could somehow get Logan Brown at 171 and a kicker at 220 (or CB Zah Frazier and a UDFA kicker), this would be the Pats' best draft since 2010. A foundational draft.

The picks at as a group are consistent in terms of what Pats are looking for.