31 Overall Pick Sony Michel

KontradictioN said:

He was their first pre-draft meeting I believe.

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The Pats had a formal interview with Michel at the Combine (not sure it was their first one), and then Frears attended his pro day. There was also a report that Pats' scouts had spoken to Wynn during Senior Bowl practice week.

In the past, Pats' scouts have typically had practice week contact, both informal and formal, with prospects participating in both the Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl, many of which turned out to be the Pats only reported contact with a prospect they ended up drafting.

In recent years, those contacts have rarely been widely noted. In order to know about them, you pretty much need to follow the tweets of several different "non-media" scouts/analysts (e.g., guys like Erik Galko, etc.) and amateur observers.

fightingirish595 said:

I’m not saying Barkley is going to be Alvin kamara, but I know he can be close. He can do it all. To me he was worth that pick. He’s a game changer

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OTOH, Barkley's 2018 cap hit will cost more than Kamara's entire 4-year rookie contract. Is he really going to be worth THAT much more?

fightingirish595 said:

I’m not saying Barkley is going to be Alvin kamara, but I know he can be close. He can do it all. To me he was worth that pick. He’s a game changer

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Alvin Kamara was the 67th overall pick.

fightingirish595 said:

I love the way the NFL constantly evolves in a circle. Using a first round pick on a back, used to seem kind of stupid. But guess what, thats changed. Look what Kareem Hunt and Alvin Kamara did for their teams this year.Find versatile backs like that who can do it all and they are first round worthy picks. Seems like running back might be becoming more of a premiere position than wide reciever

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With the new(ish) rules on DBs, no big hits, limited touching, etc., it became a QB-centered league. Of course, that made it bad for the NFL - if you didn't have Brady, Manning, Brees, Rodgers, Ben, etc., well, your chances were slim.

So the D's adapted by putting rabbits on the ends, pressuring the QB. Now DLs are lighter...but, suddenly, OLs are becoming EXPENSIVE. Which means more college kids will get on that side of the ball.

And around and around we go.

reflexblue said:

Agree, it wasn't the offense that lost us the super bowl, it was the defense. I'm very surprised.

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It's coming. At least three more top-100 picks left, and there are still good free agents available at LB and at safety.

primetime said:

Alvin Kamara was the 67th overall pick.

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If anyone knew he’d be that good he might’ve gone first overall

reflexblue said:

Agree, it wasn't the offense that lost us the super bowl, it was the defense. I'm very surprised.

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Unlike free agency, the draft is really about your team two or three years down the road, when there will have been major roster turnover. You're looking for your team's core then, not next season, so you take the best players rather than reach for need. History tells us that a rookie playing the majority of snaps for Bill Belichick is either a very good sign (the player is ready and will be a stud) or a very bad sign (the player is the only warm body left standing) but never something that should be counted upon.

To be fair, Dion Lewis was “Kamara & Hunt” before Kamara & Hunt.

maineman209 said:

OTOH, Barkley's 2018 cap hit will cost more than Kamara's entire 4-year rookie contract. Is he really going to be worth THAT much more?

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If he’s close to as good as Kamara, yes. Barkeley will make the Giants infinitely better

fightingirish595 said:

If he’s close to as good as Kamara, yes. Barkeley will make the Giants infinitely better

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Maybe good value for the Giants, even at that cost difference. Not the same value proposition for the Pats, though.

A captain and a guy that made the most out of his touches. Torched both the Oklahoma and Alabama defenses. In fact, the only team that really stopped him last year was Auburn. Typical BB pick.

I really like Michel but then again I am a RB guy. The only think I can think of is he was graded really high and BB didnt like the Def choices at that spot or thought he could get someone from same tier of Def talent in the early 2nd

maineman209 said:

It's coming. At least three more top-100 picks left, and there are still good free agents available at LB and at safety.

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Imo its easier to find a running back later, in the 2nd and 3rd rounds than it is an elite front seven player that can make an impact. Its my impression that the team needs a top lb more than it needs a running back

maineman209 said:

Maybe good value for the Giants, even at that cost difference. Not the same value proposition for the Pats, though.

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Sony is versatile and can do a lot of things. I’m not saying he’s going to be kamara or hunt. He can certainly make the first man miss, and kamara and hunt have a knack for that. He can catch, he can block. He might be a difference maker for us

fightingirish595 said:

If he’s close to as good as Kamara, yes. Barkeley will make the Giants infinitely better

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I think it's the opportunity cost rather than the player themselves. Running back play is so reliant on strength of the offensive line, and the Giants' offensive line is putrid. (Maybe it's better with Solder but I'm not the world's biggest Solder fan. It can't be worse, at least.)

Even if Barkley's great and can't-miss, the difference between Barkley and, say, Guice or Michel or Nick Chubb is probably dependent on what team they go to, whereas someone like Bradley Chubb or Roquan Smith can have a huge impact on the game regardless, and the marginal difference between one of those guys and a player at the same position in the 2nd or 3rd round is probably much greater.

Deus Irae said:

Wynn's an offensive lineman taken in round one by BB. History tells us that, unless he gets hurt or craps himself, he's starting.

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Solder didn’t did he?

KontradictioN said:

Where do you think they're slotting him then? LT? Thuney and Mason seem to be locks for the starting G positions unless they get injured in camp.

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Pencil him in at LT. If Garcia beats him out, or if the Patriots bring in another veteran, we can always use the eraser and change him to swing tackle or swing IOL.

manxman2601 said:

Solder didn’t did he?

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He started 13 games at right tackle his rookie year, but that hadn't been the plan from the start. He was forced into action because Vollmer got hurt.

manxman2601 said:

Solder didn’t did he?

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Solder started 13 games as a rookie.

As RT yes, Vollmer was hurt