How would you rate the 2018 draft for Pats?!

I agree with everything but this comment.

I think that it is more likely that Brady put his foot down. He was hit a lot last year, and that was with Solder there, and having the same OL for 3 years. Something HAD TO BE IMPrOVED.

Tony2046 said:

Looks like Scar finally put his foot down. He's got plenty of ingredients in the cupboard to put together possibly one of the best O lines we've seen.

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mgteich said:

A starting nickel back is well worth the pick.

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I totally agree. As someone said to me at some point this weekend in this forum. We really lacked a true slot corner last year. Losing Logan Ryan really hurt more than most anticipated..

mgteich said:

I agree with everything but this comment.

I think that it is more likely that Brady put his foot down. He was hit a lot last year, and that was with Solder there, and having the same OL for 3 years. Something HAD TO BE IMPrOVED.

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I don't even think Brady had to put his foot down. It was obvious to the coaching staff that the OL had issues to the point where we started to leave more people in protection at the cost of having fewer players out on routes.

Camp will be fascinating to watch for OLs, WRs and RBs.

I'll add, I disagree with the trades to go in to next year with more capital. Brady is on a timer and we should be in go for it now mode until Brady and Belichick retire. Perpetually having 2nd and 3rd round picks was great ten years ago. At this point we need actual talent though. How much better does this draft look, if instead of Dawson they use some of the capital to get a falling Derwin James, or Rashaan Evans?
Maybe they use some of the capital next year to ensure a guy they evaluate as a qualitative successor to Brady is taken. But while we're trotting out guys like Elandon Roberts and Jordan Richards on defense, it's hard to look at the stockpile of picks and think it isn't being used effectively.

luuked said:

I totally agree. As someone said to me at some point this weekend in this forum. We really lacked a true slot corner last year. Losing Logan Ryan really hurt more than most anticipated..

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Logan Ryan wasn't a slot corner the past few years. He played inside in a few specific matchups in 2016, but he played on the outside mostly.

Gilmore/Rowe/Butler and Ryan/Butler/Rowe were pretty similar combinations.

The last time Ryan played slot CB consistently was in 2014 in the weeks when Browner was healthy and playing outside opposite Revis. Even then, Arrington got a lot of the inside snaps.

Seels said:

How much better does this draft look, if instead of Dawson they use some of the capital to get a falling Derwin James, or Rashaan Evans?

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That is your opinion based on looking at some predraft mocks and rankings whereas the Patriots' scouting department had Wynn or Ragnow rated higher than Evans. Similarly Derwin James apparently was also not graded high enough relative to those two otherwise they would have made the move.

Seels said:

Brady is on a timer and we should be in go for it now mode until Brady and Belichick retire.

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It has been written and said multiple times that BB is not interested operating in an "all in" mode but prefers sustainability. He wants to leave the team in a good place when he leaves at some point. His priority is not to maximize based on Brady but the overall health of the team.

mcmurtry86 said:

Logan Ryan wasn't a slot corner the past few years. He played inside in a few specific matchups in 2016, but he played on the outside mostly.

Gilmore/Rowe/Butler and Ryan/Butler/Rowe were pretty similar combinations.

The last time Ryan played slot CB consistently was in 2014 in the weeks when Browner was healthy and playing outside opposite Revis. Even then, Arrington got a lot of the inside snaps.

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Gronk lining up outside doesn't make him a WR. Similarly Ryan's position was slot corner no matter where he lined up initially.

Him setting the edge with his physicality when motioned in a position to do so, tackling ability and great blitzing skills were dearly missed.

B+

We, in the offseason, got players in our positions of needs so that we could take the best player available here. We addressed the slot corner position (people need to realize that we didn't need a CB, we needed a specific type of CB), got 2 LBs with good potential, a RB that could be even better than Dion Lewis, a WR to replace Amendola, 2 OLinemen (Brown included) that should improve the unit somewhere, and a developmental QB. ALL THAT while putting us in the driver's seat next year as well. However, I thought we could have nabbed some players falling from the 1st round into the 2nd, or put an added emphasis on defense, but the team knows what to do.

luuked said:

But you are aware of that run at CBs that happened between pick 53 and 55 right ? That is the reason BB traded up. Reiss even alluded to that.

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People do seem to be ignoring that:

53. MJ Stewart
55. Donte Jackson
56. Duke Dawson

If you look at nfl.com, all three were the highest graded nickel potential corners.

fxmallon said:

We traded up to #56 in the second to get a fourth/fifth round rated DB (who plays Safety! whoa......) whom we could have had at #63 anyway. DW-Toys

Yup. I think this was the worse move. Giving up a 4th round pick to move up seven spots for someone I doubt any other team had interest in.

For the rest, it was mighty boring until maybe the last hour or so, when we actually made picks (of course, by this time all interest had faded). It may have been a fairly effective draft, but it held little excitement for the Pats fans (day one a partial exception, I guess)

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Because you know who other teams had interest in.

manxman2601 said:

People do seem to be ignoring that:

53. MJ Stewart
55. Donte Jackson
56. Duke Dawson

If you look at nfl.com, all three were the highest graded nickel potential corners.

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Why look at the context when ignoring it gives a nice narrative ? Amirite ?

Crazy Patriot Guy said:

I give the draft an incomplete. We have 12 picks for the 2019 draft. I have no doubt some of them will be traded in the coming months for veterans. Having those extra picks gives us a great ability to acquire some talent without leaving gaps in our picks.

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this

The Patriots traded out of picking between 56 and 143 (87 picks), so it will be interesting to see how many players from empty area make it in the league.

I really liked the draft, because I think it showed a much needed shift in team building strategy for the Patriots as our GOAT quarterback continues into his 40's.

For years it seemed to me that the Patriot's draft strategy was to invest most of their draft capital in defensive players, and trust their GOAT QB to turn lemons into lemonade. For five years from 2012-2016, the Patriots devoted exactly zero 1st Round draft picks on offense and only one 2nd round draft pick on offense, Jimmy G. So: for those five years practically no draft capital went into actually helping Tom Brady. And, it worked, they won two superbowls during that period.

The first indication that more emphasis was being given to helping Brady was last year with the unprecedented trade of draft picks for Cook.

This year, the first Round 1 pick, Wynn, seems to me to clearly be the best option at LT that we could get, with McGlinchey going 9th to San Fran and Miller 15th to Oakland. So: the Patriots spent some high draft capital to protect Brady, and as a bonus Wynn is a great run blocker either at OT or G.

The second Round 1 pick, Michael, may be the best multipurpose back the Patriots have ever had. He is a great pass blocker and a tremendous receiver that can contribute on passing plays. But, unlike someone White, he is a terrific runner also, so he can contribute on running plays. A major problem for the Patriots in the last few years is that we would telegraph whether a play was run or pass by which back we put in. If it was White, it was probably a pass play. If it was Blount or Lewis, it was likely a run and because both were such poor pass protectors a blitz could either stop the run or hit Brady. For the FIRST TIME, we have a weapon at running back that can be great with either pass or run plays. I can hardly wait!

The 2nd round pick filled a need on defense as a slot corner, so that was fine.

Trading away the 3rd round pick for another mammoth tackle (one that is an excellent pass protector), even more help for Brady!

So: I'm very excited that we brought in two OT's to help protect Brady and our first true multipurpose back, I can't believe the combination of Wynn and Michael isn't going to vastly improve the running game to help reduce the hits on our GOAT QB who will be 41 when the season starts. Finally the Patriots are spending some draft capital to help Brady, and IMHO it is high time!!

I'll be that guy and point out these instant reactions to the draft are useless. Remember how people on this board and across the country loved the Maroney and Chad Jackson draft of 2006 which only really produced Stephen Gostowski as a winner. And a lot of people hated the 2003 draft immediately after that produced Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson (who was very good for the two Super Bowl years at least), Asante Samuel, Dan Koppen, Dan Klecko, and Tully Banta-Cain.

That said, to play along with the exercise. I will give them a B+. The Patriots rarely reach for need and go with the best player available approach with some weight on need. With that in mind, Wynn, Michel, Dawson, Sam, and Berrios all look to be solid picks where they were taken.

I don't mind trading into the next year. Unless they gave up the QB of the future (which is doubtful), I don't think they sacrificed much for post Brady. And using the picks doesn't guarantee that the player taken would make an impact during the Brady era of what is left. Don't forget that Belichick uses those picks not only to draft players, but to trade for impact players already in the league (see Brandin Cooks). Not that those trades always work out like Koney Ealy (which people spin into a worse trade than it was because although the Pats gave up a third, they only traded down eight spots and didn't trade the third round pick outright as some in the media spins it now).

I would have liked the Pats to address the front seven earlier in the draft, but they did address many of those needs in free agency or via trades. Still there still is more work to be done though. Hopefully now that Hightower had surgery on his pectoral, it won't be an issue like it was the last two seasons and hopefully he can play an entire season or close to it. That would make the LB corp deficiencies far less of a problem.

Change my grade. I think a c- sounds about right.

mgteich said:

except for the lack of a backup quarterback, I agree. Belichick checked all the boxes.

We started with 5 picks and checked 6 boxes plus sent a 2nd and 3rd into 2019.
OT
OG
RB
DB
ILB
TE (blocking TE)

Our first 3 picks are starter quality.
Sam should challenge Roberts or Langi for a roster spot
Izzo could make the team as a blocking TE
and we acquired another veteran to compete for an OT roster spot

YES, we still acquire more players through trade or free agency, but this team is ready to play, win a division and an AFC championship yet again.

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Backup quarterback? Hoyer is the back up quarterback. Do you mean the future starter 2 or 3 years down the road?

Rob0729 said:

I'll be that guy and point out these instant reactions to the draft are useless. Remember how people on this board and across the country loved the Maroney and Chad Jackson draft of 2006 which only really produced Stephen Gostowski as a winner. And a lot of people hated the 2003 draft immediately after that produced Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson (who was very good for the two Super Bowl years at least), Asante Samuel, Dan Koppen, Dan Klecko, and Tully Banta-Cain.

That said, to play along with the exercise. I will give them a B+. The Patriots rarely reach for need and go with the best player available approach with some weight on need. With that in mind, Wynn, Michel, Dawson, Sam, and Berrios all look to be solid picks where they were taken.

I don't mind trading into the next year. Unless they gave up the QB of the future (which is doubtful), I don't think they sacrificed much for post Brady. And using the picks doesn't guarantee that the player taken would make an impact during the Brady era of what is left. Don't forget that Belichick uses those picks not only to draft players, but to trade for impact players already in the league (see Brandin Cooks). Not that those trades always work out like Koney Ealy (which people spin into a worse trade than it was because although the Pats gave up a third, they only traded down eight spots and didn't trade the third round pick outright as some in the media spins it now).

I would have liked the Pats to address the front seven earlier in the draft, but they did address many of those needs in free agency or via trades. Still there still is more work to be done though. Hopefully now that Hightower had surgery on his pectoral, it won't be an issue like it was the last two seasons and hopefully he can play an entire season or close to it. That would make the LB corp deficiencies far less of a problem.

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You're making way too much sense.

Perhaps the trades won't be into next year. I could see us trading a 2 or 3 for a vet before the trade deadline.

Seels said:

I'll add, I disagree with the trades to go in to next year with more capital. Brady is on a timer and we should be in go for it now mode until Brady and Belichick retire. Perpetually having 2nd and 3rd round picks was great ten years ago. At this point we need actual talent though. How much better does this draft look, if instead of Dawson they use some of the capital to get a falling Derwin James, or Rashaan Evans?
Maybe they use some of the capital next year to ensure a guy they evaluate as a qualitative successor to Brady is taken. But while we're trotting out guys like Elandon Roberts and Jordan Richards on defense, it's hard to look at the stockpile of picks and think it isn't being used effectively.

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zoostation said:

Backup quarterback? Hoyer is the back up quarterback. Do you mean the future starter 2 or 3 years down the road?

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yes, of course. I don't why anyone would be confused. Obviously, some want to nitpcik.