Vrabel working out Max I at ASU pro day

This guy was being manhandled by a 50ish retired guy. What makes you think he can play in the NFL (sarcasm mode enabled).

mayoclinic said:

We don't currently have a need for RT in 2026, but OT is desperately thin, Campbell is coming off an injury, Moses is 35 and may not last the season, and RT is a critical need in 2027. Failure to "protect the Drake" cost us a SB, and should be the #1 priority, IMO. That makes OT at 31 a reasonable choice IF that player is worth the pick.

There are 7 OTs with top 40 grades. After that there is no one with a clear top 100 grade.

You should never reach far for a need, but given the importance of the position and the scarcity, if there is a highly graded player available he should get very strong consideration.

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Like you said, RT may be a need fast in 2026 with Moses’s age. I don’t want to be left without a viable option.

ctpatsfan77 said:

As Belichick said, if you draft for need and take the wrong guy, you've wasted a pick and still have a need.

The unstated corollary to that is, if you have a need and don't fill it in the draft, you still have a need that's now harder and/or more expensive to fill.

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Sure, so let's just draft 11 QBs...

imahobgoblin said:

Pats have to do their due diligence on every one in the range of 31. I personally think Iheanachor fits better into a zone-heavy offense rather than our gap-heavy (power) offense. With that said, I think he is also talented enough to sit behind Big Mo and then start next year. Blake Miller would be a much better fit as he is very similar to Big Mo, and extensive experience in power-blocking schemes at Clemson.

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I find this an interesting thought mostly because I disagree they want to be a gap heavy power offense. I do agree the current personnel on the right side fit that but I think that was more about having too many holes to fill so take what you have and what's available for stop gaps. Between Campbell, Wilson, AVT, and Henderson I think we have a pretty clear indication they want to have a fast athletic zone based running game. It's not how I would build it, but it can work if Henderson is the kind of back that gets 3 yards, 5 yards, -2 yards, 60 yard TD.

With that in mind, and assuming your assessment of the potential draftees abilities is accurate, then it makes perfect sense to me to draft Ihearn at 31. Have him sit, learn, and grow behind Moses for a year then you have 4 of the 5 pieces needed to have that young mobile line. Draft an Uber athletic RG with an early pick next year and now your line is finished with some late round depth for the kind of player you want. I would want a oline with upside that needs time to develop taken every year in round 4, 5 or 6 just to keep the pipeline stocked.

I agree with the consensus that EDGE is the bigger immediate need but trying to satisfy a specific need via the draft is tricky in general, especially in the late 1st and beyond. Draft board is just too variable. I think in a perfect world there's be an NFL-ready EDGE atop their draft board when our pick comes up, but it doesn't always work like that.

Any player they draft is going to come in here on a 4 year deal (5th year option for a 1st rounder) and in that span of 4-5 years probably 75% or more of the roster around them is going to turn over. Outside of QB where one would assume Maye is here for the long haul, there isn't a single position that I don't see a viable path to being a starter as soon as next year (2027) which would only be year 2 of a 4-5 year rookie deal.

RB - Stevenson is ok and Henderson has upside but neither is a solidified star or anything

WR - Boutte, Hollins, Douglas are FAs after the year, KWilliams and Chism each may or may not pan out, Doubs doesn't seem like a stud or anything

TE - Henry a FA after the year and old and Hill doesn't seem like an ideal starter

OT - Moses is ancient and seems likely to be a cap casualty next year

OG - Onwenu a FA after the year

Center - Wilson might fare better here than he did at Guard but he's not a solidified starter yet and if he does improve while they also added someone here he could move back to Guard with Onwenu a FA

DT - Barmore's contract is set up where there will once again be questions of cutting him next year. This position is heavily rotation based in nature anyway so even a third guy with Barmore/MWilliams could be a "starter" snap count.

EDGE - already discussed, major need now and for the future

LB - Elliss is kind of a JAG and also a FA after the year while Spillane is only ok and may be a cap casualty next year

CB - Davis played well but his contract is set up where he could be a trade/cut candidate next year if they had a cheaper replacement

S - Byard is an old player on a 1 year deal


So yeah, certain positions are more immediate needs and higher positional value priorities, but there isn't a single position outside of QB where I don't see a guy they take highly not being planned on as a starter as soon as next year. So I firmly believe in BPA above all else still.

mayoclinic said:

We don't currently have a need for RT in 2026, but OT is desperately thin, Campbell is coming off an injury, Moses is 35 and may not last the season, and RT is a critical need in 2027. Failure to "protect the Drake" cost us a SB, and should be the #1 priority, IMO. That makes OT at 31 a reasonable choice IF that player is worth the pick.

There are 7 OTs with top 40 grades. After that there is no one with a clear top 100 grade.

You should never reach far for a need, but given the importance of the position and the scarcity, if there is a highly graded player available he should get very strong consideration.

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My post wasn't about picking an OT at 31. I was responding to "ima's" post that implied we need to draft a RT to START this season. I have no problem drafting an OT, just as long as he's the BPA on our draft board. I'd have a problem if they drafted one, but had an edge guy rated higher, but I'd also be pissed if they pass on an OT (or any other position) to pick an Edge they have rated lower.

RxJock1120 said:

Edge is a more pressing need, plus taking a guy in the 1st just to have him sit on a bench for a year is not very exciting.

With that said, we could do A LOT worse than big Max.

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Not sure “edge” as that pressing a need as people are making it out to be. They signed Dre’mont Jones and added another true DE that could spell Milton Williams and give them some flexibility. That’s one edge.

At OLB on the other side Landry is coming back from surgery and should be ready to go. Ponder got valuable reps last season and showed a lot of promise, a year in the strength and conditioning program will boost his game. Swinson is another talented prospect who has a year of experience. Both of these young guys were found later in the draft or in Ponder’s case in UDFA. There are talented edge players out to be found later in the draft.

It comes down to simple math. God makes fewer 6’6” 320 pound talented athletes than smaller ones. You take the big ones early in the draft if they’re there. Smaller talented athletes are more plentiful.

I'm leaning heavily towards Ineachor. It will still depend upon who is there when they pick, but he's high on my list. I'm thinking take fewer players this draft. Be aggressive. Trade Douglass or Boutte to move up for a player in the second, then do it again with picks in the 3rd. If they could come away with Ineachor, Hurst and an Edge who can contribute early it will be a great draft.

On that OL, we need as many good darts as we can get. We dramatically improved last year, and it was still at best, below average. There's tons of room for improvement and new players to develop.

RxJock1120 said:

Edge is a more pressing need, plus taking a guy in the 1st just to have him sit on a bench for a year is not very exciting.

With that said, we could do A LOT worse than big Max.

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We have struggled badly to find worthy OL in recent years. We had to expend the 4th pick just to get one. We are ZERO for 10 in finding OL on the second or third day of the draft. Caeden Wallace was a 3rd rounder.

If we don't take one when one is available this year, there is no guarantee we will find one in next year's draft when Morgan Moses will be 37 for the following season.

mayoclinic said:

We don't currently have a need for RT in 2026, but OT is desperately thin, Campbell is coming off an injury, Moses is 35 and may not last the season, and RT is a critical need in 2027. Failure to "protect the Drake" cost us a SB, and should be the #1 priority, IMO. That makes OT at 31 a reasonable choice IF that player is worth the pick.

There are 7 OTs with top 40 grades. After that there is no one with a clear top 100 grade.

You should never reach far for a need, but given the importance of the position and the scarcity, if there is a highly graded player available he should get very strong consideration.

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Especially since this draft is unusual with 7 tackles having top 40 grades. Usually the top tackles don't last until pick 31, unless they're coming off a bad injury (Simmons last year).

FreeTedWilliams said:

This guy was being manhandled by a 50ish retired guy. What makes you think he can play in the NFL (sarcasm mode enabled).

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To be fair, I thought he held his own against that fifty year old retiree.

I’ll admit I’m not sure how that translates to predicting how he’ll fare against NFL defensive players currently at the top of their game.

Joey007 said:

Like you said, RT may be a need fast in 2026 with Moses’s age. I don’t want to be left without a viable option.

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This is the issue.

And I will add that not having a viable option at RT might get our franchise QB killed. We really need an EDGE or LB, but having a JAG in those positions will not get Maye killed, so RT is more important.

One-If-By-Sea said:

This is the issue.

And I will add that not having a viable option at RT might get our franchise QB killed. We really need an EDGE or LB, but having a JAG in those positions will not get Maye killed, so RT is more important.

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Agreed.. however the left side of the line was the bigger problem down the stretch last season.. I'm certain Vrabel will select a OT or 2 in the draft of course but edge is huge need just as much as RT..

n1997y said:

To be fair, I thought he held his own against that fifty year old retiree.

I’ll admit I’m not sure how that translates to predicting how he’ll fare against NFL defensive players currently at the top of their game.

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Eh, Vrabel definitely won a couple. Then again, his hands were always some of the fastest at the EDGE position. I swear that's how he got most of his pressures.

n1997y said:

To be fair, I thought he held his own against that fifty year old retiree.

I’ll admit I’m not sure how that translates to predicting how he’ll fare against NFL defensive players currently at the top of their game.

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And neither was wearing pads. Neither participant needed an injury.

The Gr8est said:

And neither was wearing pads. Neither participant needed an injury.

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I love that Vrabel gets physical with the guys he works out.. it's a huge element for a player to learn as they develop...

upstater1 said:

We have struggled badly to find worthy OL in recent years. We had to expend the 4th pick just to get one. We are ZERO for 10 in finding OL on the second or third day of the draft. Caeden Wallace was a 3rd rounder.

If we don't take one when one is available this year, there is no guarantee we will find one in next year's draft when Morgan Moses will be 37 for the following season.

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True, but who was the last great Edge we drafted.

I am not saying OL is not important, it most certainly is, especially with Moses up there in age, I would prefer a more developmental prospect past the 1st. This fits better with the timeline of OL needs anyways.

Also, we drafted Onwenu so we have had some luck in drafting OL.

RxJock1120 said:

True, but who was the last great Edge we drafted.

I am not saying OL is not important, it most certainly is, especially with Moses up there in age, I would prefer a more developmental prospect past the 1st. This fits better with the timeline of OL needs anyways.

Also, we drafted Onwenu so we have had some luck in drafting OL.

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Chandler Jones???

Real fan 02 said:

Chandler Jones???

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That was 14 years ago! Might as well bring up Willie McGinest if we are going that far back.

We also drafted Nate Solder, Matt Light, Logan Mankins...Bruce Armstrong, John Hannah just to name a few, if we arent taking timing into consideration.

The point was none of these guys were drafted within the last decade.