Is the league getting better at drafting, and is that hurting the Patriots?

[Oswlek]

No, it's just the natural ebb and flow of drafting and injury luck.

You do love stitching narratives out of minimal data, don't you Ice?

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

No, it's just the natural ebb and flow of drafting and injury luck.

You do love stitching narratives out of minimal data, don't you Ice?

Like an old grandma making mittens for the children.

 

[RayClay]

Ironically,the thread above this now is about another 1st round receiver now available for little or nothing.

 

[Danger Zone]

No, it's just the natural ebb and flow of drafting and injury luck.

You do love stitching narratives out of minimal data, don't you Ice?

In the last 5 years, the Patriots have dropped 4 spots on their Average Draft Position. From 26 to 30. From Dead Last to Really Dead Last.

Or even more, depending on how you decide to count the loss of yet another first round pick.

Belichick never got a chance to draft anyone in the first round of the 2016 draft.

The only round I think Belichick is due to any criticism is the second round where the argument could be made that he has reached for some of his draft busts. But even there, Belichick is simply showing League averages for his bust rates vs the League bust rates for drafting at the very end of the 2nd.

Depending on what studies you choose to believe, the League Average for busts when picking at the end of the second round is 50-75%.

Drafting in the NFL is not as easy as some posters want to make it out to be.

Most NFL Draft Picks Are Busts

The first round of the draft remains a total crapshoot

No Team Can Beat the Draft

It’s Hard To Tell How Good NFL Teams Are At The Draft

 

[DarrylS]

If Goodell steals your 1st rounder or when you pick consistently around #30 it is difficult to make this argument, you need to do some sort of longitudinal study to assess how the upper echelon teams have done in a specific time period.

When you have very high draft picks you take chances on guys who have fallen for one reason or another to maximize the value of the pick.

 

[Canuck]

Patriots first round picks: 2013 no pick. 2014 Dominique Easley (bust). 2015 Malcom Brown. 2016 no pick 2017 no pick. It's no wonder that everyone else seems to be doing so much better in the draft in the first rounds then us recently.