Here it is with the trade out of the first, which was great, but without the three trade-ups, which left a lot to be desired:
37
Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, PSU. Our new Chandler Jones. Lots of tragedy. His dad drowned saving the infant Yetur, and he saw his brother die in front of him from a lightning strike while they were playing baseball.
71
Josh Jones, OT, Houston. We should have gone with Dalton Risner last year with our first pick, but this guy is a talent with the versatility to play all positions on the line, except center. Potential day one starter.
87
Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State. He had Patriots written all over him with his size, play, and ability. Could also stick with our original pick,
OLB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama. But Bill's pipeline with Alabama hasn't always paid dividends (Hello, Cyrus Jones), and Harrison is more versatile with less mileage (no major knee surgeries) and a bit more athletic than Jennings to play inside in a 3-4 or outside in a 4-3. I like 6'3" better than 6'2", too.
* 98
Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA. I think the Patriots did their homework on this guy, and he can be a seam runner for a big strike a time or two (or three) a game. It's just that moving up wasn't necessary to get him. Stay pat and make him a PAT!
125
K'Von Wallace, S, Clemson. He's only 5'11" but he shows up on the big stage, which he did repeatedly for Clemson. And his functional strength and three-cone time are good (6.76), along with his 38" vertical. He's our potential Chung replacement, which is going to happen sooner than people may think.
139 My heart says
Ben Bredeson, G, Michigan. He is smart & tough with good size and, most important, is consistent. We can learn to live without Thuney now. And they're both T-Rex armed! (31") My brain says, "Hey, what about center!" So it's
Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin.
Brain wins over heart.
172
Hakeem Adeniji, OT, Kansas. He was a multiple-year starter at LT, but moved inside during Senior Bowl week and accorded himself very well. Great person.
Jim Nagy on his Twitter page says he has a "higher upside than many OL drafted ahead of him" and "might be the biggest steal of any OL in this draft." We don't have Dante to perform miracles any more. Remember life without him during his first retirement? Sheez! And he reminds me of a guy named Bruce Armstrong. And Cannon had a subpar year last year. Maybe it's time to cut ties.
* 195
Dalton Keene, TE, Viriginia Tech. Again, he looks as if he can make the team. The Patriots did their homework, but he was drafted too high. We gave up WAY too much to move up and draft the sparingly used H-back/TE. He was likely available at this spot. Be more patient, Bill.
Mission accomplished at the TE position.
204
KJ Hill, WR, Ohio State. A dependable, experienced slot receiver to fill in for Edelman who also had experience as a punt returner. He loves the game of football. What a steal! He'll play faster than his timed speed.
212 Okay, he's the appropriate time to draft a kicker. Like Captain Stone
hilariously says on page 1 at this "redraft" exercise, Bill is like a youngster chasing after the ice cream truck in July in Novi, Michigan. So perhaps--as is likely--the below-the-radar Memphis guy is still available,
Justin Rohrwasser. We certainly know that the better-known
Rodrigo Blankenship from Georgia still was. He at least knows what it's like to perform on the big stage.
213 Time to double dip at another position of need, LB. He wasn't drafted, was suspended in the middle of his senior season
for using an over-the-counter supplement before a mid-week workout, and was subsequently banned. This tarnished his otherwise bright career, where he played as a true freshman. Elected team captain,
Joe Bachie, ILB, Michigan State, is a tough, gritty, aggressive all Big Ten performer who got it done for multiple years, especially in the big games like his sophomore break-out performance in 2017 in the Big House that earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Bachie recorded 10 tackles, six of which were solo tackles during the Spartan victory. He also had an 11-yard sack, his first career interception, an awesome forced fumble and pass break-up.
In fact Nick Saban developed a production points-based system for defensive players in the mid-1990s at Michigan State. And the points Bachie scored in his team's victory against Northwestern in 2019
were off the charts. Literally.
And
his Combine performance shows his athletic abilities aren't as bad as many say. Indeed, except for straight-line speed, his numbers are better than Logan Wilson's! And he will contribute at STs to make the team.
Mission accomplished at the linebacker spot.
230
Raequan Williams, DT, Michigan State. Got it done at a high level for multiple years in the interior. Wasn't drafted, but might be more than summer camp fodder. Sorry, Bill, but we can take
Cassh Maluia as a priority free agent, which is what we should have done with the Wyoming product.
* Indicates a Patriots selection, but at a later pick.
The OL is now flush with talent, the depleted TE and LBer corps are now both replenished, which were both priorities. And our QB was always going to be Stidham. I'm good with that. And Hoyer is an acceptable backup. He's better than you think.
We need a big, run-stuffing DT, but those can be picked up as a free agent. And maybe next year the speedster WR comes our way.