Unfortunately about half the names mentioned are likely to wash out of the NFL. The draft is an inexact science.
It bodes well for us that the Pats have been mostly very good with their 1st round picks in the BB era. As of late McCourty, Vollmer, and Gronk can be considered homerun picks. Chung, Hernandez, Spikes, and Mesko are at least solid doubles or triples. If the Pats can hit a couple of more homeruns in 2011, to add to a 14-2 roster, I think I can just smell the Lombardi returning to Foxboro!
Exactly. And just another reason why I personally don't see this coveted 2 guy high pick combo, as enticing as it would be.
We all (or a high majority of us) would love to have a 2 guy combo off of this list. It would bring excitement, and could possibly put us over the edge. But as you point out, many of these names will be busts, so you can cross off whoever BB does not even think will make it big. That narrows the list. As I stated in my other post on page 1, I believe that more names get crossed off because BB does not necessarily feel that they are good fits for the system here. Then there are the intangibles-- not only combine numbers, but tape, character issues, potential injuries, and numbers that are not up to his opinion of being good enough measurables. Cross another name or two off of the list. Then there is the fact that they may not be considered upgrades by BB over players in round 2 or 3, not to mention players that we already have on our roster. Again, cross another name or two off. Then there is the obvious fact that many will be gone by the time we'd pick, or even make a potential trade up into the top 10-12 picks. Cross a bunch off there too.
At the end, you aren't going to have many of these names remaining, and this is what I am basing my theory that having a 2 guy combo from this list is not very realistic in my opinion. Others may disagree.
I would not be surprised for a split second if we ended up taking Leshoure/Ingram, or Cobb in the first 4 player choices. As long as we snag a higher ranked DE I am happy. As I said any one of Watt, Wilkerson, Jordan, or Heyward will make me satisfied. I guess my main point (God help us all) is that I am going to predict something a little less obvious, a little less popular and mainstream, and go with a DE, a OL, and at LEAST one if not two skill position players out of the first 4 selections--in no necessary order. I think that when the 4th player choice is actually made, we will be a bit further down that most feel anyway, through trading and added pickups.