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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Draft picks: Georgia OT Isaiah Wynn (No. 23), Georgia RB Sony Michel (No. 31), Florida CB Duke Dawson (No. 56), Purdue LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (No. 143), Arizona State LB Christian Sam (No. 178), Miami WR Braxton Berrios (No. 210), LSU QB Danny Etling (No. 219), Western Carolina DB Keion Crossen (No. 243), Florida State TE Ryan Izzo (No. 250).
Instead of using their considerable early-round draft capital to find the next Tom Brady (which, by the way, may never exist, and couldn’t be found in this imperfect class of rookie QBs), the Patriots decided to replenish the talent around the actual Tom Brady, who is coming off an MVP season, which many seemed to forget this offseason. Brady’s departure—whenever it comes—will force a drastic resetting of this franchise one way or another. Instead of investing valuable draft picks on guesses for how to minimize that discomfort, New England spend those picks on players who can help collect more Super Bowls now.
Instead of using their considerable early-round draft capital to find the next Tom Brady (which, by the way, may never exist, and couldn’t be found in this imperfect class of rookie QBs), the Patriots decided to replenish the talent around the actual Tom Brady, who is coming off an MVP season, which many seemed to forget this offseason. Brady’s departure—whenever it comes—will force a drastic resetting of this franchise one way or another. Instead of investing valuable draft picks on guesses for how to minimize that discomfort, New England spend those picks on players who can help collect more Super Bowls right now.
With Isaiah Wynn, the situation at offensive tackle becomes less direr. And this selection was amplified by the Day 2 trade for gigantic 49ers right tackle Trent Brown, which could allow Wynn to slide to left guard, where his body type is better suited. That would give the Patriots an alternative to re-upping inconsistent pass protector Joe Thuney in 2020. Sony Michel, Wynn’s teammate at Georgia, offers dimension to the stable ground game that free-agent signee Jeremy Hill couldn’t be trusted to provide.
Cornerback Duke Dawson is a more traditional slot cover guy, ending the experiments of guys like Patrick Chung and Eric Rowe playing slightly out of position inside. Bill Belichick traded away the rest of New England’s second, third-and fourth-round picks—usually he gets overzealously lauded for this, but not here. The grade below has nothing to do with the trades and everything to do with a once-again Super Bowl ready franchise having the wisdom to build around its legendary MVP QB rather than taking guesses at how to one day replace him.
Grade: A+
Grading every NFL team's 2018 draft selections
New England Patriots
Draft picks: Georgia OT Isaiah Wynn (No. 23 overall), Georgia RB Sony Michel (No. 31 overall), Florida CB Duke Dawson (No. 56 overall), Purdue LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (No. 143 overall), Arizona State LB Christian Sam (No. 178 overall), Miami WR Braxton Berrios (No. 210 overall), LSU QB Danny Etling (No. 219 overall), Western Carolina DB Keion Crossen (No. 243 overall), Florida State TE Ryan Izzo (No. 250 overall).
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Overall grade: A
The skinny: There's not many sub-6-foot-3 tackles in the NFL. But Wynn's length and athleticism allowed him to excel at the position with the Bulldogs, and there's no reason to think he can't be a solid player there in the NFL. He also plays with a nasty streak. Just another four-year, high-character player for Bill Belichick. His college teammate, running back Michel, will join him in Foxboro. Michel has the versatility to be a star in the Patriots' system, working as a receiver and slashing through defenses as a runner. On Day 2, the Patriots made only one pick, but moved down a couple of times to get fourth-round picks and Chicago's 2019 second-round pick. They also swapped third- and fifth-round picks for 49ersright tackle Trenton Brown. They did select Dawson, a slot corner and trouble-maker for receivers, trading away a fourth-round pick to Tampa Bay to select him. He'll contribute right away. New England traded out of the fourth round to pick up a 2019 third-round pick. Bentley and Sam were picks the Patriots needed to make to aid the second level of their defense. Berrios was the perfect New England pick on Day 3. He's a quick slot receiver who will fight for passes from Tom Brady. Picking Etling in the seventh round based on his physical traits made sense, though his college resume was not spectacular.
2018 NFL Draft: Final quick-snap grades for all 32 teams
New England Patriots: A-
Their evaluation always requires a deeper dive, though Bill Belichick did fill several needs even if he'd cringe at that framing. Isaiah Wynn, assuming he can handle an NFL tackle's responsibilities despite projections he'd fit better at guard, could take over for Nate Solder. RB Sony Michel is far more explosive than Dion Lewis. Second-round CB Duke Dawson eases the Malcolm Butler divorce. The Pats also swung a deal for San Francisco RT Trent Brown, who's started 26 games over the past two seasons, and picked up Chicago's second-round pick in 2019. The head scratcher was the decision not to take a quarterback who could develop behind Tom Brady ... unless LSU's Danny Etling surprises on a Brady-esque level.
NFL draft grades 2018: Which teams had best, worst classes?
New England Patriots: A
Draft picks: T Isaiah Wynn (Georgia), RB Sony Michel (Georgia), CB Duke Dawson (Florida), ILB Ja’whaun Bentley (Purdue), ILB Christian Sam (Arizona State), WR Braxton Berrios (Miami), QB Danny Etling (LSU), DB Keion Crossen (Western Carolina), TE Ryan Izzo (Florida State)
The trade Trent Brown and the Wynn pick gives the Patriots options to replace Nate Solder at left tackle. Michel, Dawson and Berrios are built like the three veterans they lost in Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler and Danny Amendola. Bentley and Sam help them hedge their bets with Dont'a Hightower. They also got their developmental, efficient QB to sit behind Tom Brady, a mild surprise in Etling.
NFL Draft grades: Broncos, Cardinals come up aces; Bills, Seahawks flop
New England Patriots
Hold on, the Patriots may have just made another trade. It’s clear how New England viewed this draft. With two first-round picks, they perceived the value at the top as good and then the middle rounds as bad.
In the first round, New England got starters in offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel. Wynn was arguably the best blocker in the SEC a season ago and gives the Patriots a player who can play at tackle or guard. Michel is the definition of a Patriots running back. He’s fast and agile, and plays with more power than you may think. He can also catch the ball out fo the backfield. If his health holds up, a lot of people expect Michel to be this year’s Alvin Kamara.
In the second round the Patriots moved up to take Florida cornerback Duke Dawson. It was strange the Patriots traded up for him, and that he was the choice over some other cornerback prospects.
Christian Sam was a sneaky good choice at No. 178. He should be able to play inside and outside linebacker for the Patriots and has good size and athleticism. It was not a shock that the took Braxton Berrios in the sixth round. He’s an asset as a punt returner, and you know he’ll be coached up as a slot receiver.
Out of this draft the got 2019 picks in the second and third rounds. Getting the third rounder also means they ultimately got defensive tackle Danny Shelton for free.
Grade: B-
Who won the 2018 NFL Draft?
New England Patriots: B
Analysis: The Patriots didn’t trade up in the first round to get a QB to eventually replace Tom Brady. Instead, they focused on helping Brady by using their two opening-round picks on G/T Isaiah Wynn and RB Sony Michel. Both should help, and Michel could be particularly effective as a replacement for Dion Lewis. Second-round CB Duke Dawson could be a contributor following the departure of Malcolm Butler.
AFC draft grades: The Broncos are alone at the top followed by a lot of pass/fails
Draft picks: Georgia OT Isaiah Wynn (No. 23), Georgia RB Sony Michel (No. 31), Florida CB Duke Dawson (No. 56), Purdue LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (No. 143), Arizona State LB Christian Sam (No. 178), Miami WR Braxton Berrios (No. 210), LSU QB Danny Etling (No. 219), Western Carolina DB Keion Crossen (No. 243), Florida State TE Ryan Izzo (No. 250).
Instead of using their considerable early-round draft capital to find the next Tom Brady (which, by the way, may never exist, and couldn’t be found in this imperfect class of rookie QBs), the Patriots decided to replenish the talent around the actual Tom Brady, who is coming off an MVP season, which many seemed to forget this offseason. Brady’s departure—whenever it comes—will force a drastic resetting of this franchise one way or another. Instead of investing valuable draft picks on guesses for how to minimize that discomfort, New England spend those picks on players who can help collect more Super Bowls now.
Instead of using their considerable early-round draft capital to find the next Tom Brady (which, by the way, may never exist, and couldn’t be found in this imperfect class of rookie QBs), the Patriots decided to replenish the talent around the actual Tom Brady, who is coming off an MVP season, which many seemed to forget this offseason. Brady’s departure—whenever it comes—will force a drastic resetting of this franchise one way or another. Instead of investing valuable draft picks on guesses for how to minimize that discomfort, New England spend those picks on players who can help collect more Super Bowls right now.
With Isaiah Wynn, the situation at offensive tackle becomes less direr. And this selection was amplified by the Day 2 trade for gigantic 49ers right tackle Trent Brown, which could allow Wynn to slide to left guard, where his body type is better suited. That would give the Patriots an alternative to re-upping inconsistent pass protector Joe Thuney in 2020. Sony Michel, Wynn’s teammate at Georgia, offers dimension to the stable ground game that free-agent signee Jeremy Hill couldn’t be trusted to provide.
Cornerback Duke Dawson is a more traditional slot cover guy, ending the experiments of guys like Patrick Chung and Eric Rowe playing slightly out of position inside. Bill Belichick traded away the rest of New England’s second, third-and fourth-round picks—usually he gets overzealously lauded for this, but not here. The grade below has nothing to do with the trades and everything to do with a once-again Super Bowl ready franchise having the wisdom to build around its legendary MVP QB rather than taking guesses at how to one day replace him.
Grade: A+
Grading every NFL team's 2018 draft selections
New England Patriots
Draft picks: Georgia OT Isaiah Wynn (No. 23 overall), Georgia RB Sony Michel (No. 31 overall), Florida CB Duke Dawson (No. 56 overall), Purdue LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (No. 143 overall), Arizona State LB Christian Sam (No. 178 overall), Miami WR Braxton Berrios (No. 210 overall), LSU QB Danny Etling (No. 219 overall), Western Carolina DB Keion Crossen (No. 243 overall), Florida State TE Ryan Izzo (No. 250 overall).
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: A
Overall grade: A
The skinny: There's not many sub-6-foot-3 tackles in the NFL. But Wynn's length and athleticism allowed him to excel at the position with the Bulldogs, and there's no reason to think he can't be a solid player there in the NFL. He also plays with a nasty streak. Just another four-year, high-character player for Bill Belichick. His college teammate, running back Michel, will join him in Foxboro. Michel has the versatility to be a star in the Patriots' system, working as a receiver and slashing through defenses as a runner. On Day 2, the Patriots made only one pick, but moved down a couple of times to get fourth-round picks and Chicago's 2019 second-round pick. They also swapped third- and fifth-round picks for 49ersright tackle Trenton Brown. They did select Dawson, a slot corner and trouble-maker for receivers, trading away a fourth-round pick to Tampa Bay to select him. He'll contribute right away. New England traded out of the fourth round to pick up a 2019 third-round pick. Bentley and Sam were picks the Patriots needed to make to aid the second level of their defense. Berrios was the perfect New England pick on Day 3. He's a quick slot receiver who will fight for passes from Tom Brady. Picking Etling in the seventh round based on his physical traits made sense, though his college resume was not spectacular.
2018 NFL Draft: Final quick-snap grades for all 32 teams
New England Patriots: A-
Their evaluation always requires a deeper dive, though Bill Belichick did fill several needs even if he'd cringe at that framing. Isaiah Wynn, assuming he can handle an NFL tackle's responsibilities despite projections he'd fit better at guard, could take over for Nate Solder. RB Sony Michel is far more explosive than Dion Lewis. Second-round CB Duke Dawson eases the Malcolm Butler divorce. The Pats also swung a deal for San Francisco RT Trent Brown, who's started 26 games over the past two seasons, and picked up Chicago's second-round pick in 2019. The head scratcher was the decision not to take a quarterback who could develop behind Tom Brady ... unless LSU's Danny Etling surprises on a Brady-esque level.
NFL draft grades 2018: Which teams had best, worst classes?
New England Patriots: A
Draft picks: T Isaiah Wynn (Georgia), RB Sony Michel (Georgia), CB Duke Dawson (Florida), ILB Ja’whaun Bentley (Purdue), ILB Christian Sam (Arizona State), WR Braxton Berrios (Miami), QB Danny Etling (LSU), DB Keion Crossen (Western Carolina), TE Ryan Izzo (Florida State)
The trade Trent Brown and the Wynn pick gives the Patriots options to replace Nate Solder at left tackle. Michel, Dawson and Berrios are built like the three veterans they lost in Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler and Danny Amendola. Bentley and Sam help them hedge their bets with Dont'a Hightower. They also got their developmental, efficient QB to sit behind Tom Brady, a mild surprise in Etling.
NFL Draft grades: Broncos, Cardinals come up aces; Bills, Seahawks flop
New England Patriots
Hold on, the Patriots may have just made another trade. It’s clear how New England viewed this draft. With two first-round picks, they perceived the value at the top as good and then the middle rounds as bad.
In the first round, New England got starters in offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel. Wynn was arguably the best blocker in the SEC a season ago and gives the Patriots a player who can play at tackle or guard. Michel is the definition of a Patriots running back. He’s fast and agile, and plays with more power than you may think. He can also catch the ball out fo the backfield. If his health holds up, a lot of people expect Michel to be this year’s Alvin Kamara.
In the second round the Patriots moved up to take Florida cornerback Duke Dawson. It was strange the Patriots traded up for him, and that he was the choice over some other cornerback prospects.
Christian Sam was a sneaky good choice at No. 178. He should be able to play inside and outside linebacker for the Patriots and has good size and athleticism. It was not a shock that the took Braxton Berrios in the sixth round. He’s an asset as a punt returner, and you know he’ll be coached up as a slot receiver.
Out of this draft the got 2019 picks in the second and third rounds. Getting the third rounder also means they ultimately got defensive tackle Danny Shelton for free.
Grade: B-
Who won the 2018 NFL Draft?
New England Patriots: B
Analysis: The Patriots didn’t trade up in the first round to get a QB to eventually replace Tom Brady. Instead, they focused on helping Brady by using their two opening-round picks on G/T Isaiah Wynn and RB Sony Michel. Both should help, and Michel could be particularly effective as a replacement for Dion Lewis. Second-round CB Duke Dawson could be a contributor following the departure of Malcolm Butler.
AFC draft grades: The Broncos are alone at the top followed by a lot of pass/fails
