DRAFT Rhamondre Stevenson

[mgteich]

We needed young talent at those 3 positions - and still do, really - more than we needed it at Stevenson's position...

So, we don't need running backs for the future? After all, going into the draft, we had Harris, Harris, Harris and Taylor for 2022.

I agree that CB is a major issue for 2022. I expect that Belichick would rather try to extend Gilmore and/or Jackson.

With regard to OT, you just don't like Belichick's choices.
POSSIBLE OT's FOR 2022
1) Wynn (salary guaranteed)
2) Onwenu (a right tackle)
3) Herron
4) Brown extension
5) One of Cajuste, Sherman or Cunningham

With regard to WR, again you don't like Belichick's choices. You think that a 4th round WR is a potential major contributor this year or next.
As you remind us often, Belichick is paying major bucks to Agholor and Bourne (and to Smith and Henry). Perhaps, he likes Meyers (seems likely).
Either Asiasi or Keene is our backup TE. Gunner is a lock for PR/RET.

So, from Bill's perspective, we are talking about the need for a #4 WR in 2021 and 2022. Is Zuber that man or Wilkerson or Nixon or Harry? Or perhaps we will sign another Byrd type (unlikely unless there is an injury).

 

[cupofjoe1962]

Blount comparison - No
Lacey comparison - No
Levon Bell comparison - Bingo

 

[captain stone]

So, we don't need running backs for the future? After all, going into the draft, we had Harris, Harris, Harris and Taylor for 2022.

Good RBs, like Safeties, can be found Anywhere at Any time.

 

[Patsgofor4]

Stevenson’s legs and ass are THICK. He’s going to do some damage to undersized LBs and DBs.

 

[zimmy]

He looks a little slimmer than on his college highlights, which I think is a good thing.

 

[Kontradiction]

Blount comparison - No
Lacey comparison - No
Levon Bell comparison - Bingo

Don’t see it. He’s pretty decisive once he hits a gap and isn’t going to outrun many guys in the open field at this level. But he can power through them. The Blount comparison is the most apt.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Don’t see it. He’s pretty decisive once he hits a gap and isn’t going to outrun many guys in the open field at this level. But he can power through them. The Blount comparison is the most apt.

Agreed. The subtlety might be that he is more patient in hitting the gap than Blount which is like Bell. I agree he is not endlessly patient like Bell, but I see a lot more decision making than running into the backside of an OLineman. I really like his patience to decide where to run like Bell, and then he goes hard like Blount. Agreed he is not going to run away from anyone in the open field, hence a 4th rounder.

 

[ashley]

 

[Hyped]

Howe had a story about Stevenson today.

Man, Howe has gotten me thinking that this may be the best Patriots draft class in a long time...Barmore, Perkins, Stevenson, and Bledsoe all seem to be hits....I know it's early....and I even like McGrone who won't see the field, the speedster from FCU, Sherman the OL-man, and oh... someone named Mac....

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

I’d have no problem if he was a 600 yard and 8 TD a season short yardage, clock killing bulldozer

 

[Patsgofor4]

Howe had a story about Stevenson today.

Man, Howe has gotten me thinking that this may be the best Patriots draft class in a long time...Barmore, Perkins, Stevenson, and Bledsoe all seem to be hits....I know it's early....and I even like McGrone who won't see the field, the speedster from FCU, Sherman the OL-man, and oh... someone named Mac....

Great article (love The Athletic). Hard to not get excited about Stevenson when you read this part in particular:

Rhamondre Stevenson rebuilt a football career that nearly ended. Now the Patriots are giving him his big shot

“He is a great junior college football story,” ex-coach Dean Grosfeld said of Stevenson and the path he used to get back on the NFL radar.

theathletic.com

“Stevenson got another boost in 2020 when Oklahoma hired school legend DeMarco Murray as the running backs coach. Murray, a three-time NFL Pro Bowler, coached Stevenson hard, encouraged him to tighten up his diet and showed him how to work to become a professional through time management, film study and practice habits. Murray also created a film reel of LeGarrette Blount highlights to show Stevenson what he could become if he kept at it.

The appreciation for Stevenson’s willingness to take coaching actually seemed to grow during his suspension.

“Everything I asked him to do, he did it with a smile on his face and with a great attitude,” Murray said. “He’s a competitive kid. He’s extremely coachable. He never had bad body language or a bad attitude whether I jumped his ass or I applauded him.

“He’s a guy who wants to be great. He wants to learn. He wants to learn things that he’s never learned before.”

Sooners defensive ends and outside linebackers coach Jamar Cain refers to Stevenson as “Ram-Bam,” and his group got an extended taste in practice of the bruising back’s hunger to return to the field. Stevenson was on the scout team for the first five weeks of the 2020 season and gave the starting defense an intense, game-speed look.

The trash talk livened up those workouts, too.

“We had to tell him to stop running so hard,” Cain laughed. “We can’t get my starting linebackers hurt because you’re trying to run everybody over. Rhamondre was causing havoc. It was like, ‘Dude, all right, get out.’ He was standing next to me like, ‘Can I go run the ball? I’m going to run your guys over now.’ I’m like, ‘OK, no, we’re not doing that.’”

Stevenson’s appreciation for special teams – or really, just his desire to be on the field in any capacity – carried into that senior season, as he begged to cover the opening kickoff in his first game back against Texas Tech. Murray obliged, but Stevenson had three rushing touchdowns that day and Murray knew he couldn’t risk an injury to his top back. Against Stevenson’s wishes, he had to sacrifice his special teams snaps.

He became the three-down back that Riley wanted, too. If the Sooners needed a good route from a running back, Murray wanted Stevenson in the game because of his footwork, balance, hands and ability to win one-on-one battles against coverage.

As a blocker, that’s where Stevenson improved the most over his two seasons.

“Year one, I was scared to death to have him in there if somebody was going to blitz us,” Riley said. “Honestly, year two, he was one of the best pass-(protection) guys that we’ve had here. It improved that quickly.”




Competitive
Coachable
Loves special teams
Can run you over (and wants to) AND be an asset in the passing game
Good pass blocker

BB central casting.

 

[rogerthat]

I’m excited about this pick. Very excited.

 

[Sicilian]

Howe had a story about Stevenson today.

Man, Howe has gotten me thinking that this may be the best Patriots draft class in a long time...Barmore, Perkins, Stevenson, and Bledsoe all seem to be hits....I know it's early....and I even like McGrone who won't see the field, the speedster from FCU, Sherman the OL-man, and oh... someone named Mac....

Love the enthusiasm, but I have to take exception with the bolded part. I feel like I just got out of the "Asiasi/Keene are flops" thread, trying to keep people from giving up on them too soon. But this is the same problem in reverse. These kids haven't even run a real NFL play in a training camp yet, we can't consider them anything to this point, nevermind hits.

 

[Hyped]

Love the enthusiasm, but I have to take exception with the bolded part. I feel like I just got out of the "Asiasi/Keene are flops" thread, trying to keep people from giving up on them too soon. But this is the same problem in reverse. These kids haven't even run a real NFL play in a training camp yet, we can't consider them anything to this point, nevermind hits.

Yip, I was a bit high on Hyperbole right there.....

 

[50-yard-line]

Yip, I was a bit high on Hyperbole right there.....

If Barmore, Perkins, and Stevenson don't do well here, I'll be greatly disappointed. All three have the tools to succeed at a high level in a BB scheme.
McGrone, too, unless the injury greatly hinders him going forward.

Not sure about Bledsoe or Sherman or Nixon, not even sure about Jones (because QB), but these three SHOULD do some good things here.

 

[Hyped]

If Barmore, Perkins, and Stevenson don't do well here, I'll be greatly disappointed. All three have the tools to succeed at a high level in a BB scheme.
McGrone, too, unless the injury greatly hinders him going forward.

Not sure about Bledsoe or Sherman or Nixon, not even sure about Jones (because QB), but these three SHOULD do some good things here.

In my Bledsoe deep dive....it seemed like the kid lined up EVERYWHERE and usually against the opponent's best offensive weapon because his team was crappy. Sounded a lot like Jamie Collins coming out of college (bad team, but made all plays).

 

[50-yard-line]

In my Bledsoe deep dive....it seemed like the kid lined up EVERYWHERE and usually against the opponent's best offensive weapon because his team was crappy. Sounded a lot like Jamie Collins coming out of college (bad team, but made all plays).

Yeah, and I heard great things about Sherman, his work ethic, his versatility, etc., and of course, Nixon was Ernie's last pick.

So we'll see.

But those first three (other than Jones) should succeed to some degree at least. Barmore has the physical tools to be an elite DT (does he have the intangibles?). No one was close to him in DT ratings this year.

Perkins seems like a complete package, physically and mentally.

Stevenson was my binky and favorite RB this year not named Najee or Travis. If he turned out to be the best back BB has drafted, I wouldn't be shocked - and I like Michel and Harris and Vereen, and of course, White, etc.

 

[Gumby]

Stevenson might've been available at 177 too...

#120 should've been used on either:
The best remaining OT, Dan Moore;
One of the two best available outside CBs, Robert Rochell & Cam Bynum, as Gilmore & JCJack insurance;
Or - and my preference - the best available WR, Tylan Wallace.

We needed young talent at those 3 positions - and still do, really - more than we needed it at Stevenson's position...

I think you are nuts.
1. There is no way he was still there 50 picks later.

2. You are arguing against BB’s horizontal board. I think there are very very few posters here with the combined data, analytical capabilities and experience to match with a 20 man scout-coach-analyst team that said ‘of the guys we like at this time he is the top remaining. If arguing you better bring a strong argument. You don’t.

3. Arguing vertical alignment with backup-level talent at wr OT and cb positions. Arguing using these positions just doesn’t seem like a strong case. Bb has almost NEVER valued wr position. Too much diva and ability to find equal production throughout draft rounds and in FA ( which he just did). OT and CB starters are First/second round guys. So anyone you want in 4th is a backup, and bb also went FA shopping here too. plus we arguably have a top3 OL and top3 def backfield already. Who would any of the guys you named replace as a starter THIS SEASON?
With the short lifespan of RBs and Stevenson’s talent level he has the potential to see significant snaps this season, depending on playbook learning potentially even snaps at game 1. IMO RB was just a better position to fill (again horizontal board analysis) at that round.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

In the highlights I am seeing things a little differently than everyone else. I am seeing remarkable speed for such a big guy; he seems as fast, or faster, than the LBs and Safeties he went up against. What I don't like is his stutter step and slow startup in the pocket; Ron Dayne, a famous flop for the Giants, used to do that--it works in college but did not work in the pros....so I am a bit worried. Once Stevenson gets going he is elusive; he does not run over people but he is as slippery.

The question in my mind was whether the Patriots should have taken Stevenson or Tyler Shelvin who was taken a couple of picks later by the Bengals. I think that Shelvin is a better player, but might have some character issues. Shelvin would have been the final piece of a potentially dominating defense this year. However, in general, 2021 was an outstanding draft for the Patriots. I think that the Patriots will have success with all their picks with the possible exception of Stevenson and Tre Nixon.

 

[Patsgofor4]

Stevenson might've been available at 177 too...

#120 should've been used on either:
The best remaining OT, Dan Moore;
One of the two best available outside CBs, Robert Rochell & Cam Bynum, as Gilmore & JCJack insurance;
Or - and my preference - the best available WR, Tylan Wallace.

We needed young talent at those 3 positions - and still do, really - more than we needed it at Stevenson's position...

Hey, do you know who cares about the best available players on “your draft board” (lol) when the Pats drafted Stevenson?