Recent Success of Draft's Top LBs (Good News for Pats)

[tombonneau]

I posted this in the Our LBs Could be Dominant thread, but it kind of got plowed over by some sort heated debate about something or another.

Anyway, I looked back at the last 5 years of NFL drafts as my thinking was most top LBs not only don't bust but excel. Turns out I was more than correct:

2007
#11 Patrick Willis DROY 07 Pro Bowl

2006
#5 AJ Hawk - Solid starter on the verge
#7 Ernie Sims - Solid starter and about the only good first round pick by Detroit

2005
#11 Demarcus Ware Pro Bowler
#12 Shawn Merriman Pro Bowler & DPOY if not for suspension in 06

2004
#12 Jonathan Vilma DROY
#17 DJ Williams Top LB

2003
#10 Terrel Suggs DROY & All Pro

Anyway, not much more to add than that. Just thought I'd point out on a slow July Wednesday that recent history is on the side of our top draft pick.

 

[BionicPatriot]

If we get that kind of contribution from Mayo, this defense will be plain nasty. I don't know how much we can expect an inside backer to come in and play at an effective level his first season on a consistant basis. Im keeping my optimism but I sure hope everyone doesn't come in expecting Mayo to be that good already.

 

[PatsFan37]

It does look good for 1st round LBs being more predictably good. Couple that with this team's track record with 1st rounders and Mayo's chances look very good.

That I believe was your point and I agree and love the detailed info.

For anyone (not you, I understand that) thinking Mayo is going to be DROY, that won't happen on a Belichick defense, esp. not a LB. Not even AD dominated the Pats defensive stats. BB's complicated defense is positively Byzantine at the LB level. That's why I'm looking for more out of Hobson this year, and see Mayo's big contribution coming next year.

Which, of course, bodes well for Mr. Meriweather in 2008.

 

[upstater1]

Ware and Merriman are the big hits there.

The other guys went to stinky teams and the LBs HAVE to make those tackles so their numbers are a bit padded. Don't get me wrong, they are still impressive, but an argument can be made that they wouldn't have been as good on decent teams.

I still remember the years when the Patriots were horrible and our LBs used to get good recognition.

Remember all the tackles that Vincent Brown racked up? Vincent was a very good LB, and I'm glad he was a Patriot. If he were on another team back then, however, he may have just been considered mediocre. On the Patriots his stats were amazing because people like Tim Goad and Mike Ruth played in front of him.

Remember those days?

 

[Zeke_Mowatt]

Remember all the tackles that Vincent Brown racked up? Vincent was a very good LB, and I'm glad he was a Patriot. If he were on another team back then, however, he may have just been considered mediocre. On the Patriots his stats were amazing because people like Tim Goad and Mike Ruth played in front of him.

His neck prevented him from ever being considered mediocre He could have been on any team and they would have found ways to talk about his freakish frankenneck!

 

[WhiZa]

It will be tough for Mayo to just step in the Pats system and play well enough to earn all those honors. But I like those odds. Even Meriweather had to ride the bench because the depth the Pats have so the jury is still out.

You could also include DeMeco Ryans, DROY, who was selected #33

 

[tombonneau]

It will be tough for Mayo to just step in the Pats system and play well enough to earn all those honors. But I like those odds. Even Meriweather had to ride the bench because the depth the Pats have so the jury is still out.

You could also include DeMeco Ryans, DROY, who was selected #33

I don't know ... in the past BB has shown a tendency to match his scheme to his personnel (I recall early in one season when the D wasn't "getting it" he scaled back the playbook to accommodate) so if Mayo really is as good as advertised it wouldn't shock me to see a slightly scaled back playbook early in the year if that's what it takes to get him on the field.

 

[My2Cents]

I posted this in the Our LBs Could be Dominant thread, but it kind of got plowed over by some sort heated debate about something or another.

Anyway, I looked back at the last 5 years of NFL drafts as my thinking was most top LBs not only don't bust but excel. Turns out I was more than correct:



Anyway, not much more to add than that. Just thought I'd point out on a slow July Wednesday that recent history is on the side of our top draft pick.

Sounds great. And, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the Pats top picks. ...And I'm very excited about them, BUT the Colts didn't do so bad, either. In fact, two of their top defensive picks (MLB Phillip Wheeler and DE/OLB Marcus Howard) are major forces to be reckoned with. They will not only supply much needed depth but should contribute almost from the start.
These guys would have looked great in a Patriot uniform (like BOB SANDERS).