My Final (And Limited) Big Board
I am limiting this to the prospects I either like or I think the Patriots could draft. This isn’t meant to be a predictive big board as such, just who I would take at each level of the draft if I was GM.
Trade Up (Would Give Up a 3rd)
- Jonathan Bullard
- Jason Spriggs
- Chris Jones
I love Jonathan Bullard as a fit for the Pats. Outstanding as run stopper and has the quickness off the snap to disrupt in the pass game. Spriggs is an athlete at LT. I don’t love his game, but then none of the potentially available OTs have games I love. Still, there’s no doubting that Spriggs’ upside is as a starting LT. Chris Jones has tremendous upside as a 5-tech and 3-tech. He could develop as a genuine penetrator at either ‘techs’.
2nd Round
- Sterling Shepard
- Le’Raven Clark
- Hassan Ridgeway
- Jonathan Williams
- Braxton Miller
- Austin Johnson
- Derrick Henry
- Devontae Booker
- Kenneth Dixon
This is where I finally get to declare my love for some favourite prospects. I just can’t get away from the fact that Sterling Shepard, purely in terms of receiving skills, is arguably the best WR in the draft. He has certain disadvantages (height for one) that drop him in the draft but if any receiver in the draft can work with Brady early, I think it’s Shepard. If he works out in year one, he potentially makes Amendola expendable and in time, could be the long-term Edelman replacement. As for Braxton Miller, well I’ve said my piece more than once on him. If he hits his upside, I think he can be Antonio Brown good. But he does have some way to go to achieve that.
There’s no doubting Le’Raven Clark has issues as a blocker. But, there are very few built like him and the 2nd round is where BB has shown a willingness to take rare athletic specimens with 1st round traits but question marks. Give Clark a year under Dante and who know’s how good he might become with that size and length.
I’ve given Ridgeway the edge over Johnson because of how they fit the team. Johnson is a 1-tech, he’s an ideal replacement for when we lose Alan Branch but he doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher. Ridgeway, on the other hand, is someone I can see partnering Malcom Brown for a long time as a 3-tech to Brown’s 1.
I’ve been saying it all along, but I consider Jonathan Williams the 2nd best back in the draft. So it’s time to put up or shut up and rank him as such. When I watch Williams, I’m reminded of Marshawn Lynch. Can’t get a whole lot better than that. But in truth, I’d be absolutely fine with any of the RBs I’ve listed at this point, they all have something going for them. Henry is an explosive Blount, Dixon would be a great asset in the ’12’ offensive sets we’ll be running this year and Booker is a tremendous runner that PFF compares to Arian Foster. They are all excellent backs that I’d be delighted with.
Round Three
- Sean Davis
- Bronson Kaufusi
- Joe Haeg
- Javon Hargrave
- CJ Prosise
- Jihad Ward
- Cyrus Jones
- Jordan Jenkins
- Jordan Howard
I’m starting to get a little scared of Sean Davis; PFF had him with the worst QB rating against, of all the CBs available in this draft. There’s no denying his athleticism, his outstanding ability against the run and his occasionally very good play in man coverage, but he does have some rough tape. That’s why I’ve dropped him from the 2nd to 3rd.
I really like Kaufusi’s versatility and fit, both athletically and character-wise. As for Joe Haeg, I’m all in on Clark and Haeg as my two OT options. If we don’t get Clark in Rnd 2, then I’m taking Haeg in Rnd 3. I’m surprised that CBS have dropped Haeg to the 6th round this late in proceedings. Perhaps they’ve heard something. Nevertheless, Haeg is my preferred option at OT if we can’t get Clark.
Early Day 3
Hopefully we pick up at least one pick in round 4 and hopefully one in round 5 too.
- Kevin Byard
- Kalan Reed
- Malcolm Mitchell
- Eric Murray
- Keivarae Russell
- Connor McGovern
- Justin Simmons.
Kevin Byard is one of the best safeties available to us in this draft that could replace Harmon long-term if they feel they need insurance against him leaving. Simmons is the other. Kalan Reed has been one of my favourite corners for a while and fits what the Pats look for in CBs. The fact that Nick Caserio worked him out testifies to that. Eric Murray and Keivarae Russell are good value at this point in the draft and McGovern is someone who can back up both the OG and OT positions.
Late Day 3
- Stephen Anderson
- Kevin Hogan
- Marquez North
- Taveze Calhoun
- Dean Lowry
- Devin Lucien
- Keenan Reynolds
- David Morgan II
- Kevin Peterson
- Frankie Williams (CB)
- Steven Daniels
- Chris Swain
- Dillon Lee (LB)
- Justin Zimmer (DT)
- David Hedelin (OT)
- Clay DeBord (OT)
- Vad Lee (QB)
45 total
I really like Stephen Anderson. Might not be much of a blocker as a TE but he gets open very quickly, a necessity in our offense. Bring him in to compete with AJ Derby. The first eight names in this group are all prospects I’d be delighted to get in the 6th round. The others are interesting UDFA types I’d be fine with in the 7th.
As I said, this isn’t meant to be a predictive big board. It’s just a list of the prospects that appeal to me in the form of a big board. There are players I’ve left off that perhaps I shouldn’t have, there are players left off that I think are good but just don’t match what I look for, and there are probably players left off that I’ve merely forgotten. These are merely the names I
hope to see on the roster on Sunday and where I'd preferably take them.
