DRAFT DAY DISCUSSION Official 2022 NFL Draft Thread: Day 1

[patsfanfromoversea]

Is the o line improved to last year ? I doubt that strange is better than mason in his first year
Is the defense improved ? No it’s the opposite after the loss of jc Jackson bc Wilson and peppers won’t move the needle , and the LB are unproven
Day 2 can only get better

 

[ivanvamp]

Like most of you, to me this felt like a massive reach when they had other studs sitting there, and at positions of major need.

But I think years down the road, we are going to look back on this pick and say, you know what, Cole Strange turned out to be one hell of a player.

 

[Give Kraft A Hand]

Maybe Strange was always the pick at 21 and Bill traded back with confidence. This was a guy that was supposed to be there at the end of the 2nd round. I'm guessing that Bill took back full control of the draft from last years "terrible" draft. It was only the Pats best draft in years. I'm sure the player will turn out okay even though Dante is no longer here which helped a lot of their reaches on the line in the past.

Anyways...Can they at least trade up for Dean?

 

[stcjones]

McVay is the coach of the reigning champs, was in 2 of the last 4 Super Bowls, is one of the top tier coaches in this league AND has verbally kissed Bill Belichick’s ass on numerous occasions in the media. He actually respects Bill a lot. He’s just legitimately stunned by this pick.

Let’s be real, this was the only pick that all the networks had nothing on standby for to talk about because it was such a reach.

Good post

 

[Clonamery]

Like most of you, to me this felt like a massive reach when they had other studs sitting there, and at positions of major need.

But I think years down the road, we are going to look back on this pick and say, you know what, Cole Strange turned out to be one hell of a player.

Fair.

 

[Water Boy]

Its possible that Strange would have been gone by 54, but a trade up in the 2nd would have been the move to make as BB typically does. Easy to do with the KC picks.

I understand a team having a unique Draft board based on their individual need but like the Jordan Richard and Tavon Austin picks at some point there needs to be an awareness of the consensus value of a player and a healthy level of risk taking that the player will generally be on the board where the consensus believes.

I'd much rather have Dax Hill, Travis Jones in the first and Strange in the 2nd.

 

[ivanvamp]

It is fairly obvious that BB has lost it. I would prepare for another very average season. He is falling behind the curve on what it takes to win in today's NFL. It happens to all great coaches.

They just went 10-7 last year and made the playoffs, with a rookie QB.

I mean.....

 

[stcjones]

He didn’t create a hole by trading Mason, it ironed up a job for Onwenu, who I expect to be just as good at a much lower cost.
The hole was created by not overpaying an unathletic, not very strong JAG at LG, which he just used a draft choice to upgrade.

Jackson was replaced by Butler.
WR was addressed with Parker.
LB was addressed with McMillan, McGrone and Jennings returning from injuries and adding Wilson
DL will probably be addressed later in the draft but he may not feel there is a hole there with barmore, Godchaux, Guy, and Davis but I’m not sure a DT would have been the move in round 1 anyway.

Jackson was replaced by …..Butler!?

 

[pats_premi]

It’s not the player, but another missed opportunity. Patriots need to seek a professional help to get over the paranoia that other teams are lining up to take the likes of Jordan Richards, Tavon Wilson and Cole Strange.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

They just went 10-7 last year and made the playoffs, with a rookie QB.

I mean.....

3-7 against teams with a winning records.

3-8 if you count the playoffs.

 

[ivanvamp]

3-7 against teams with a winning records.

So what? 10-7 and made the playoffs. With a rookie QB.

3-8 if you count the playoffs.

Yeah they got smoked by the Bills in the playoffs. Obviously they need to improve a LOT if they're going to win a Super Bowl. But they just won 10 games with a rookie QB - that doesn't happen very often in league history. BB hasn't forgotten how to win.

 

[PowerRunRevival]

they could have drafted any of those players at 29 and then got Strange at 54, without trading anything

If they select someone I wanted in the first round in the second round, for me it's not really different than them drafting who I wanted in order.

For example:
Nakobe Dean at 21 and Cole Strange at 54

isn't any different from my perspective than
Trade back to 29, Pick Cole Strange, use assets acquired in trade back to move up and grab Dean early in the second. In both scenarios they used 21 and 54 to get Cole Strange and Dean.

Look, I'm not a fan of the Cole Strange pick myself, I agree with the consensus that guard is a position that could have been filled later in the draft. The other two guards getting picked before the Pats at 21 says that the consensus of fans on the value of guards is counter to how GMs in the NFL view the position.

I am curious to see how many more oline the Pats draft. Typically when doing mock drafts I would draft 3 from round 4 on with the hope that one of them will turn out. If the Pats are confident enough in Strange to pick him in the first, I don't think they will need to invest so many picks in the position.

 

[BTTA]

Agreed. Not being boring is okay, and I’m certainly in favor of questioning decisions and looking at alternatives, but the level of hostility and animosity and vehemence that has come out in reactions to this pick is scary. It makes me worry about the stability of some posters here, and whether we need to be concerned about an active shooter invading Patriot Place in response to an unpopular draft pick.

not talking specifically about you, just saying that the overreaction to this pick makes it hard to have a serious conversation and maintain perspective, and that bleeds over to affect responses to posters that aren’t so over the top…

The draft in general is an emotional manipulation by the NFL. Fans want their hits of dopamine and oxytocin, and the NFL has them hanging on for three months with the draft being the next reward. Then the Pats go and pull it away like Lucy with the football.

But the NFL has gone all in on this, building out fantasy football and gambling. Next Fix League.

The average team gets one or two long term starters out of the draft, and one or two role players. Half the picks are washouts, due to ability or injury. About 20% of pro bowlers are drafted in 4th round or later, or UDFA.

The Pats think Cole Strange has a good shot at being the next Mankins. Let's hope they are right.

 

[Tunescribe]

It is fairly obvious that BB has lost it. I would prepare for another very average season. He is falling behind the curve on what it takes to win in today's NFL. It happens to all great coaches.

Anyone paying attention already knew BEFORE this draft the Pats will be an average team this coming season. Anyone paying attention knows New England remains in rebuilding mode and that expectations to contend for the division should be more realistic in 2023. We all need to take a broader view of things and remember this team arguably overachieved by making the playoffs last year. Instead of issuing condemnation notices before a single down is played, let's see how things unfold.

 

[203Pat]

Like most of you, to me this felt like a massive reach when they had other studs sitting there, and at positions of major need.

But I think years down the road, we are going to look back on this pick and say, you know what, Cole Strange turned out to be one hell of a player.

My issue is even if he ends up as a great guard he is still just a guard. That is a spot where we have plugged in lots of mid/late rounders or undrafted guys who played well on some very good teams. To me the gap between average to good guard is pretty negligible where as corner or LB or some of the other gaping holes on the roster that gap is significantly larger.

 

[Nunchucks]

It is fairly obvious that BB has lost it. I would prepare for another very average season. He is falling behind the curve on what it takes to win in today's NFL. It happens to all great coaches.

Bill has a long way to go to gain back my confidence.

 

[ivanvamp]

My issue is even if he ends up as a great guard he is still just a guard. That is a spot where we have plugged in lots of mid/late rounders or undrafted guys who played well on some very good teams. To me the gap between average to good guard is pretty negligible where as corner or LB or some of the other gaping holes on the roster that gap is significantly larger.

I'm very sympathetic to this line of thinking, to be honest. But clearly BB doesn't see it that way, and thinks that this is a really important player at a really important position. Generally, Bill has proven right over the many, many years of doing this. He's not always going to be right, of course, but more often than not, he is.

He's got a GREAT track record with the Pats of drafting OL in rounds 1-2. So I've no doubt that this guy will end up being terrific. I just wish they had taken Travis Jones there and risked waiting til the 2nd round to get Strange.

 

[PowerRunRevival]

3-7 against teams with a winning records.

3-8 if you count the playoffs.

Genuinely curious, did you view the Patriots team last season as a disappointment? I have a tough time thinking of last season in those terms given that the team had a rookie quarterback and exceeded expectations.

Last year a lot of people on the board seemed to think the Pats would be under .500, now it feels like posters are anchoring to their opinion of the team pre-season even if the results were 10-7. Pre-season last year I remember the narrative being that the Pats schedule was too hard and that would contribute to them missing the playoffs, then I guess the narrative was re-written that the team wasn't good they just beat up on bad teams...

 

[Ring 6]

Bill has a long way to go to gain back my confidence.

I’m sure that keeps him up nights.

 

[203Pat]

I'm very sympathetic to this line of thinking, to be honest. But clearly BB doesn't see it that way, and thinks that this is a really important player at a really important position. Generally, Bill has proven right over the many, many years of doing this. He's not always going to be right, of course, but more often than not, he is.

He's got a GREAT track record with the Pats of drafting OL in rounds 1-2. So I've no doubt that this guy will end up being terrific. I just wish they had taken Travis Jones there and risked waiting til the 2nd round to get Strange.

I am not really worried about Strange being good because honestly Bill's track record with offensive lineman has been pretty damn good for 20 years. I just view guard like I view RB. Why take a guy in the first with an A grade when you can take a guy in the 4th with a B grade? I also don't like that we let Karras walk and sign for $5 mill to take an unproven guy to replace him at around $2.5 mill. I know $2.5 million is nothing to sneeze at but it isn't a major savings like taking a (in theory) number 1 corner in round 1 after losing JC Jackson to a big money deal.