My Only WTF Moment

[scott99]

I disliked the Woodson pick. I felt the Pat’s draft was almost perfect up until then. Several better players available. Really wanted them to take a chance on WR Dont’e Thornton at that point, very rarely can you find a WR who’s 6’5” and can run a legitimate 4.30. The Pat’s don’t have a BIG receiver, let alone one that runs a 4.3. At that point in the draft is when you take a home run swing. Not surprisingly he was picked one or two picks later by Brady’s Raiders. Earlier in the draft, they had landed WR Bech. Proof that you are allowed to pick more than ONE receiver in any given draft.

Also, if you wanted defense, you could’ve taken Edge Jack Sawyer, taken by the Steelers, who seemingly know how to pick Edge players.

Most experts panned this pick. The highest grade I saw was a C for this pick.

I gave the draft a B+, this pick and the long snapper bought it down form a possible A+.

 

[manxman2601]

I disliked the Woodson pick.



Most experts panned this pick. The highest grade I saw was a C for this pick.

Daniel Jeremiah said that Woodson "should go in the 3rd round" and ranked him 90th overall and, at least by PFF grade, had one of the best seasons a safety has had in the last four years. In the 4th round, that is NOT a reach.

 

[signbabybrady]

I think Mapu is a goner. They are loaded at strong safety and he’s not a free safety. I think he’s a good football player, but doesn’t have a position unless a team can find a hybrid specialist role for him.

Thats supposed to be us.

I think he's got enough talent I'm not ready to give up on him. Let's see what Vrabel and Williams can come up with first.

 

[Steve102]

Woodson's not a Special Teamer.
It's not your fault that "Analysts and Posters" never saw a Cal game.
Daniel Jeremiah did. Had him ranked 90th on his board.
Vrabel and company were as excited about taking Woodson as they were any other pick in the draft. They traded up to get him.

I read somewhere, I wish i kept the link, that the pundit said he was going to be the FS. Maybe it was a pod, I dunno, I was busy this weekend and lost track of some of the stuff I was reading and watching. But they said he was older and should hit the ground and be in the mix to be the FS.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Thats supposed to be us.

I think he's got enough talent I'm not ready to give up on him. Let's see what Vrabel and Williams can come up with first.

We will see? I like Mapu, but I think they need a young starting free safety more than a big nickel specialist, and I think Woodson will end up being that guy.

 

[scott99]

Daniel Jeremiah said that Woodson "should go in the 3rd round" and ranked him 90th overall and, at least by PFF grade, had one of the best seasons a safety has had in the last four years. In the 4th round, that is NOT a reach.

I saw one list had him rated in the 190s, other lists had him as an honorable mention, not in their top 15 of safeties. Malachi Moore, who was picked 24 picks later by the Jets was rated higher than Woodson. Billy Bowman and Lanthan Ransom were both rated higher were picked 118 and 122 respectively. Even if you wanted to pick a safety, he certainly wasn’t the best safety available at 106. Then add in the other positions that had better players available. It’s why I hated the pick. I’ll root for him to succeed, but we had enough safeties. Could’ve gone edge with Jack Sawyer, as I mentioned, drafted by Pittsburgh after Woodson, you think they KNOW edge defenders ?

Cowan when talking about him, raved over and over again about his COMMNUCATION skills, not his actual skills, his coverage ability.

 

[manxman2601]

Cowan when talking about him, raved over and over again about his COMMNUCATION skills, not his actual skills, his coverage ability.

Communication breakdowns in the defensive backfield was supposedly one of the big issues for the team last year so his communication skills seem like a pretty important addition. So he's a good communicator, he's got plus plus character and was one of the most consistent safeties against both run and pass in CFB last year. How is that not worth a 4th round pick, a round reserved for better backups and role players?

 

[Uptown]

My WTF moment was the entire draft. “WTF, we’re killing it!”…

 

[maust]

Communication breakdowns in the defensive backfield was supposedly one of the big issues for the team last year so his communication skills seem like a pretty important addition. So he's a good communicator, he's got plus plus character and was one of the most consistent safeties against both run and pass in CFB last year. How is that not worth a 4th round pick, a round reserved for better backups and role players?

Given the other talent still available I was 'uhmm...okay...' when the pick was made. Hearing the thinking behind it and projecting the 'fit' I've warmed to the pick. I suspect more than anything else a good portion of the reaction to the pick stems from people having a different expectation of where it would be used. In retrospect, given the way it all played out, the pick isn't quite the head scratching stretch it may have first appeared to many.

 

[manxman2601]

Given the other talent still available I was 'uhmm...okay...' when the pick was made. Hearing the thinking behind it and projecting the 'fit' I've warmed to the pick. I suspect more than anything else a good portion of the reaction to the pick stems from people having a different expectation of where it would be used. In retrospect, given the way it all played out, the pick isn't quite the head scratching stretch it may have first appeared to many.

I was high on him precisely because I thought he was a very good Vrabel fit.

 

[patfanken]

I think Mapu is a goner. They are loaded at strong safety and he’s not a free safety. I think he’s a good football player, but doesn’t have a position unless a team can find a hybrid specialist role for him.

IIRC, I heard several weeks back that Mapu was going into camp strictly as a LB

 

[maust]

I was high on him precisely because I thought he was a very good Vrabel fit.

The horrific 'communication' deficiencies on last year's D were manifest, nowhere as obvious as in the secondary. Time and again they just weren't on the same page, it was a glaring weakness that was exploited without mercy.

 

[The Gr8est]

Daniel Jeremiah said that Woodson "should go in the 3rd round" and ranked him 90th overall and, at least by PFF grade, had one of the best seasons a safety has had in the last four years. In the 4th round, that is NOT a reach.

It also depends not only on need, but availability in the draft.

DT was seemingly deeper than S, and the Pats wisely traded up and were in the front of the DT run.

 

[manxman2601]

It also depends not only on need, but availability in the draft.

DT was seemingly deeper than S, and the Pats wisely traded up and were in the front of the DT run.

The trades were one of my favourite things about the draft. They all seemed to work brilliantly. Trading down from 77 to net a 2026 pick and still get Wilson. As you say, trading back into the 4th to jump the mini-DT run and turning one 7th rounder into two. And not trading up for Kyle Williams or Jaylin Noel and letting the draft come to us.

 

[maust]

DT was seemingly deeper than S, and the Pats wisely traded up and were in the front of the DT run.

Their timing on that was almost prescient. This draft was deep at DT so any sense of urgency was lacking. Everyone knew a run was inevitable but getting the 'when' part of that right merits notice

 

[TommyD4207]

It also depends not only on need, but availability in the draft.

DT was seemingly deeper than S, and the Pats wisely traded up and were in the front of the DT run.

29 Defensive Tackles were drafted this year. 29. That does not include UDFAs.

 

[manxman2601]

29 Defensive Tackles were drafted this year. 29. That does not include UDFAs.

It was a crazy class.

 

[signbabybrady]

We will see? I like Mapu, but I think they need a young starting free safety more than a big nickel specialist, and I think Woodson will end up being that guy.

I don't think Woodson and Mapu are really in competition with each other. I mean obviously there is overlap but I see Woodson is in the mix in the FS side and Mapu is behind Peppers and Dugger on the SS side.

I suppose they compete a little for nickel/in the box stuff and for STs.

Really for Mapu it comes down to either finding a role with the LBs or proving himself good enough at SS that they keep him to eventually replace Dugger or Peppers. STs too of course.

He's got skill it's just a matter of finding the right role for him. I want to see what Vrabel and Williams have in mind before writing him off.

 

[scott99]

My WTF moment was the entire draft. “WTF, we’re killing it!”…

Yeah, the draft confused me. It was so un-Patriot like. Good players who filled a lot of holes. Best Patriot’s draft in quite a while. I wasn’t watching the draft, but each notification I got on my phone I kept thinking, holy cow that’s a great pick. I’ve been a Pat’s fan since 1975, and have seen some great Pat’s drafts, but the majority of the drafts I’ve witnessed, especially the last 10 years of Belichick’s drafts were bad.

If I were to play devil’s advocate, I didn’t like the safety Woodson pick, there were so many better players available that the Pat’s could’ve taken. Even at safety, 4 players were rated ahead of him, then add in the players at other positions who were rated higher. And add in the long snapper pick (can’t complain, 7th round pick), there was still talent left on the board (a Belichickian pick).

And the Henderson pick, which I LOVED, I love his explosiveness and all around ability. That being said, if Jayden Higgins was the object of their desire, which is the rumor, picked a few picks before Henderson, trade up ! Try to land him, trade up to the 1st round. They weren’t aggressive enough to try to land him. They don’t have a big, outside receiver. Could’ve gotten a RB in the 3rd round.

But overall, truly a stellar draft, loved 8 of their picks:

Campbell
Henderson
Williams
Wilson
Farmer
Swinson
Borregales
Bryant

 

[The Gr8est]

Yeah, the draft confused me. It was so un-Patriot like. Good players who filled a lot of holes. Best Patriot’s draft in quite a while. I wasn’t watching the draft, but each notification I got on my phone I kept thinking, holy cow that’s a great pick. I’ve been a Pat’s fan since 1975, and have seen some great Pat’s drafts, but the majority of the drafts I’ve witnessed, especially the last 10 years of Belichick’s drafts were bad.

If I were to play devil’s advocate, I didn’t like the safety Woodson pick, there were so many better players available that the Pat’s could’ve taken. Even at safety, 4 players were rated ahead of him, then add in the players at other positions who were rated higher. And add in the long snapper pick (can’t complain, 7th round pick), there was still talent left on the board (a Belichickian pick).

And the Henderson pick, which I LOVED, I love his explosiveness and all around ability. That being said, if Jayden Higgins was the object of their desire, which is the rumor, picked a few picks before Henderson, trade up ! Try to land him, trade up to the 1st round. They weren’t aggressive enough to try to land him. They don’t have a big, outside receiver. Could’ve gotten a RB in the 3rd round.

But overall, truly a stellar draft, loved 8 of their picks:

Campbell
Henderson
Williams
Wilson
Farmer
Swinson
Borregales
Bryant

If the Pats make those trade ups the whole draft changes, and other picks and trades do not materialize.