I get your point and agree to a very small extent but those 4 years you're talking about are enormous considering the NFL is 2-3 year league.
Most teams are riding small waves for a few years and retooling, rebuilding etc When you hit on a draft you have maximize the talent and value in the moment.
Plus you want those second contracts especially from early picks. It means you're hitting on talent and fit. Usually means that guy has "bought in" off the field as well.
Draft discussion is incredibly tough. Most are focused on very few, 5-10 prospects. Don't have the best handle on them to begin with and probably watching highlights 2 months before the draft. Lots of hindsight. It's very tough to have an honest discussion or debate over it.
Sure.
I haven't given up on Wynn.
I find the idea of Michel being a "bust" laughable.
Bentley might be our best LB right now.
Harry looks like a complete bust.
Winovich has flashed.
Damian Harris is a very good pick.
Bailey has contributed greatly.
Cowart is still quietly okay for his pick.
And I haven't given up on Cajuste, who's flashed, finally (but they knew he was gone the first year when they drafted him - it's the only reason they got near him) with one VERY noticeable exception.
Dugger
Uche
Onwenu
Herron have all contributed and look like there might be a couple of keepers there.
I like Asiasi, but we'll see if he can get on the field - still glad he's #3.
Don't know about Jennings yet, or Keene, but confidence is not high.
Mac Jones is a hit, I think.
Barmore is a hit, I'm pretty sure.
Stevenson is a hit, I think.
Don't know about Perkins.
No idea about McGrone (you liked him a lot, I believe), Sherman, Bledsoe, or Nixon yet.
And UDFAs:
2018 Jackson
2019 Gunner, Meyers, Jakob Johnson
2020 Book remains out on JJ Taylor (like him a lot), and Bryant,
2021 We'll see on Nordin.
Compare that to the home-grown elsewhere and take out any top-20 picks (including Mac, sure) and is it really that terrible? Particularly when you consider things like flipping a 2nd for Sanu in desperation trying to squeeze out a last Brady run. I just find this meme to be particularly galling, given the juggling they did to keep Veteran players on the field, filling gaps (with traded picks, often) in order to stay on top. Some teams stay on top with outrageous contracts or void years that lead to a deep hole.
I don't see that here. The Pats are trying to build a sustainable competitive team. Maybe it won't work without Brady, i admit. Maybe it's going to be NBA-like boom and utter bust (as I expect with Tampa in about 2 years...).
But again, for all that homegrown talent, Dallas was 6-10 last year, worse than Cam's Patriots. Yep, they lost their QB and replaced him with a decent 10-year vet, who by any means should be superior to any rookie QB.
The Harry pick was especially terrible, particularly since this team wants nothing to do with jump balls, and that's really his game coming out. Michel was picked for what they needed right away (pass protecting bell cow) and he gave them that. Wynn's injuries and whatever the heck is going on so far this year is particularly disappointing.
So yeah, I'm not thrilled with their drafting in the higher rounds, until this year, but as I said, anything before 2018 is irrelevant to their current roster.