So how do you grade this year’s draft?

[Salsalife]

Wow... High emphasis on the offensive side of the ball. If you look at it from Mac's point of view it's an A+ DRAFT. Protection, running game and high speed receivers. If you look at the defensive side of the ball Coach feels he justs need's some good corners and he can work on the run defense and pass rush game. Bills beat us 47-17 last year in the playoffs. OK then, here we go. The million dollar question, are the coaches on this team capable enough to work magic. Has Bill put a 48 point offense together this year? For me, i don't care, just win. Hopefully the Undrafted Free agents will save the defense with some run stoppers. Just need a sidekick for Barmore. I feel Coach is going to pick up rethreads in FA on defense to fill gaps. Come visit NE guys if you get cut, well take a look....

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Love the Marcus Jones and Pierre Strong selections based on where we got them. Also gotta show some love to my binkie Sam Roberts. Gut feeling he carves out a role on this team.

On paper give it a C. Still nervous we didn’t address the DL hard enough. But this is subject to change either higher or lower once games are played.

 

[pats_premi]

Don’t have a grade, but I feel lot better about than I did on Friday morning. It seems as if the Patriots had no intentions of drafting fast LB‘s or higher ranked DL, so it didn’t matter if that they drafted a guard in the first round. Also this draft seems to be more based on the scouting then BB taking players from schools coached by his buddies or SEC. Only time will tell if the new approach worked.

 

[Ring 6]

PFF gave the Pats a D, worst grade for any
team.

That is promising. I’d be worried if PFF gave a good grade.

 

[Ring 6]

Agreed. But coming into the draft we had several areas of definite need. Couldn’t stop the run, struggled frequently against the pass….lost JC and key LB/D players……struggled with WR corps as well…..DID WE Adequately fill those needs with draft this year( of course some FA signings did help WR wise….but needed some key players added via draft)…..I just don’t feel like we really addressed the needs facing the team enough….thus my grades….thanks

I’m trying to understand how someone could describe being
#2 against the pass
#2 in interceptions
4th fewest Td passes allowed
2nd lowest % of drives allowing points
5th best 3rd down conversion stop rate
2nd best red zone stop rate
73.3 opponent passer rating

As “struggled frequently against the pass”

 

[Ring 6]

If all goes as planned it was an excellent draft.
We will have added one of the most athletic Gs in the league to fill a gaping hole, added blazing speed at WR with a player who was very productive. Added a lightning fast, sticky corner who is an elite return man, plus another corner, meaning the defense that ended the season has lost 1 corner and added 5. Addressed RB depth for 2023, and added a highly productive backup QB. Otherwise some late round picks who may or may not amount to anything which is par for the course.

 

[50-yard-line]

Raekwon McMillan runs official 4.61 40-yard dash - NFL.com...pedestrian...ZERO sacks in his 4 years in the league​

McGrone? hasn't even take a snap in preseason yet and on the mend from an ACL..a 5th round pick meant for ST's is suddenly going to START for the Pats at LB this season?​

Peppers is a SAFETY...not a speedy LB says hi​

Wilson ran a 4.71 40-yard dash at his pro day. Jamie Collins is 20 pounds heavier and ran a 4.67...​

LOOK at the top 15 teams in the NFL and their LB corps...and then look at THIS group of question marks...not good​

Devin Lloyd 4.66, same as Wilson's second try. Hightower came out at 4.68 - what do you think he was running last year? What do you think Collins was running last year (if you could find him running, that is)?

LaVonte David ran a 4.57, McGrone ran a 4.43 (and yes, he hasn't taken a snap, like ANYONE coming in the draft, right? But he does have a year of NFL conditioning, learning the system, etc. - and no, McGrone wasn't taken as a special teamer. They only got him low because of his injury and it was clear he was missing a year. At the time they took him, they had all three of their top LBs: HT, Bentley, and McMillan on contract years.

Jabril Peppers ran a 4.46...speaking of him:

New York Giants: Jabrill Peppers establishing himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL

Jabrill Peppers is entering his fourth season in the NFL, establishing himself as one of the best safeties in the league.

empiresportsmedia.com

"In his rookie season with the Browns, Jabrill Peppers was playing mostly free safety in Cleveland’s defense that frequently utilized single-high safety. This did not exactly fit Peppers’s skill set, as he is more of a downhill thumper that thrives as a linebacker. That is the role he started playing full-time for the Giants in 2020."

Call him a safety if you want...read the article. Would you be surprised to see him on the field with Dugger and Phillips, all in or near the box? I wouldn't.

Two sub 4.5's and two 4.61-7 guys is not a SLOW LB corps in the NFL. Certainly, question marks abound, as they're redoing the entire second level other than Bentley. I wouldn't have minded an LB in the draft - I'm shocked they didn't take one.

But here's the thing: how many will be on the field, typically?

I wanted Lloyd in the 1st. After the drop to 29, he and Walker disappeared, I wanted Nakobi Dean (didn't know about his injuries - he's not much bigger than Peppers, by the way). I'm not trying to argue with you here, because I certainly understand your frustration. I really don't know why they didn't do some trading up and let Chenal/Christian Harris/Anderson/Muma slip away, since all of them were there for the second pick, and a couple for the THIRD pick at 85!. They must be okay with the guys I mentioned for what they want to play...and yes, it's a work in progress.

I was shocked to see them take a WR in Round 2, despite his speed. For all of that, however, they are faster right now at the second level than they were, by a lot, at the end of last year. I wouldn't be surprised if they bring in Dylan Moses (4.46) as a camp body, too.

 

[JackBauer]

PFF gave the Pats a D, worst grade for any
team.

Ok so they had a good draft!

 

[Easywolf32]

Straight up F- and that's a minus after the F.

KC, Bills, Ravens and all kinds of teams got stronger and we got weaker.

Drafted a 2-3rd rounder in the first while passing on Mcduffie and Karlaftis, gave up a 3rd to move up in the 2nd to grab a 4th-5th rounder WR and passed on Moore, Pickens and Pierce. Than proceeded to throw away another 2nd instead of taking LB Harris, Channing or Chenal. Wow.

Pathetic. Even if one of those players turns into a pro bowler. Just all around dumb.

 

[Boomer B]

Bro c'mon...was a coaching mistake not playing these guys more (but injury in some cases played a part). I fully expect Judon, Bentley, McMillan, McGrone, Uche, Wilson to hold the fort. The SS' will play there part. We have fast LB's already on the roster.

View attachment 42872

Ok the sarcasm force is strong with you

And there's been no sign that any of them are good starters.

Bentley is a run stopper who can be exposed in coverage.

McMillan is on his 3rd team in 5 years and hasn't proven much since coming in the league.

Uche has done next to nothing in his 2 years here and is a disappointment.

Tavai was waived by Detroit and is a practice squad guy

McGrone is a 5th rounder. Who knows what to expect of him.

Jennings has also done next to nothing, even when healthy. He is also not a fast LB but more of a big run stopper.

Hall is a UDFA who bounces around on the practice squad

Wilson is a JAG. 5th rounder who Cleveland traded for Winovich who rode our bench.

The fact remains we have no upper echelon athletic LB's, and this draft was pretty deep at the position.

 

[Zuma]

And there's been no sign that any of them are good starters.

Bentley is a run stopper who can be exposed in coverage.

McMillan is on his 3rd team in 5 years and hasn't proven much since coming in the league.

Uche has done next to nothing in his 2 years here and is a disappointment.

Tavai was waived by Detroit and is a practice squad guy

McGrone is a 5th rounder. Who knows what to expect of him.

Jennings has also done next to nothing, even when healthy. He is also not a fast LB but more of a big run stopper.

Hall is a UDFA who bounces around on the practice squad

Wilson is a JAG. 5th rounder who Cleveland traded for Winovich who rode our bench.

The fact remains we have no upper echelon athletic LB's, and this draft was pretty deep at the position.

I understand. Apparently the Patriots coaches don’t agree with you.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Id go with a C+ for now, but impossible to tell tbh. still hopeful itll be a decent class and could potentially make us quite better. Still ALOT of unknown with this one.

What i like:
- We got our Lg it hopefully fills out our starting ol. and despite the supposed reach i like him more the more i read.
- Added depth at cb, i think at the least m jones should definitely help us. This was probably our biggest downfall in the buffalo losses.
- The rbs - especially like strong as a prospect and he may even impact this year.
- Adding speed at wr. It’s obviously hard getting excited over a wr pick with ne lol and im not terribly optimistic on it, but i like the thought and his 40 time alone is attractive. I personally would have given a little extra to move up a little further for metchie(just 6 more spots up I believe) but iM overall ok with this one.
- added backup qb. This was a need, we were very fortunate mac was able to take every important snap last year cuz weve seen what happens when hoyer has to play in non garbage time. Not sure if i like the choice itself but we’ll see

What i didn’t like:

- no emphasis at run defense / nt. Drafted one dt and hes a project, doesnt look like a run stuffer either with the sacks mentioned . Can only hope we’re looking to add a hicks or something because unlike lb which i was ok with passing on i dont see any potential big additions to last year on the current roster.
- overall value /quality. Other than strong and m jones seems we reached quite a bit on most picks. This is of course all moot if we actually do hit on 3-4 of these considerably(im not talking dietrich wise/Bentley type hits, we need some real difference makers) , but its hard to get as excited over this draft as much as last years where you can look at a guy like barmore and just drool over the potential.
- no drafted competition at punter despite some opportunities. I like Bailey but we could potentially have saved alot of cap space if we hit on a pick and have a cheap punter for a few years. With all the picks woulda been worth a late flyer.

 

[cupofjoe1962]

A few of the clapping seals would approve if they drafted Hellen Keller

I will give it a C- and that is being kind.

Hopefully we got some building blocks, but
I don’t see anyone special. I really question Damian Harris’s future with us after this year after loading up on RB

 

[Joker]

A few of the clapping seals would approve if they drafted Hellen Keller

sad but even sadder.....true

 

[50-yard-line]

Did some looking around. HT 4.68 (4.62) 40 in 2012, Kyle Van Noy (4.71 in 2014), and Bentley (4.75) had over 2000 snaps last year as the three primary LB s (not counting Judon). Van Noy was 30, HT 31, and at that position, I doubt they were anywhere near those 7 and 9-yr-old combine #s (and it was noted in 2012 that HT didn’t play at that speed even then.

Those snaps will be handled by much faster guys this year.

 

[Chevy]

That is promising. I’d be worried if PFF gave a good grade.

I haven't studied anything for this year's draft, but I managed to score very high on that PFF simulator on any settings - unless I set the focus on Public ranks vs PFF ranks.

 

[BobDigital]

As far as I can grade a draft instantly..... F. Maybe all those reaches end up hitting, and 5 years from now it will be great. But as of now, I can only grade on the how well draft capital was used by the current projects. Also, so much of the draft grade rides on the first 2 rounds, if you mess either up, it drops your grade.

29 Cole Strange OG - he has elite numbers as far as athletics metrics which match up well with some of the best guards in the past 10 years, but he doesn't fit the traditional size/weight for a guard. At 6'6 is a little tall for most guards and 300 is a little light, probably needs coaching, and hasn't face much top competition. No one had him day 1. Maybe not even in the second round. A trade down here would have made sense. They almost certainly could have gotten him safely with their 2nd round pick. So this is an F. It's a bit of a riskier pick for a non-premier position when better prospects from more impact positions were available.

50 Tyquan Thorton - WR - Another big reach. No one had him in the second round, And very few of any teams probably had them on their board for a 3rd round pick, even if they did there were likely many other guys ahead of him. Most people had him as a 4th rounder or lower.

Most importantly, my go to guy on draft prep, Bacon, had both listed substancially lower. So that is public opinions, and arguably one of the greatest draft experts on earth saying it was a reach on the picks most associated with impact key players. Even if they hit, I can always feel like they left money on the table due to not stealing them like they should have.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Impossible to grade a draft before anyone plays a down, I remember BB getting criticized for reaching back in the 2000's and some of those drafts worked out. I'll wait and watch.

 

[realtime]

universally everyone has panned the patriots draft. not a single voice of acceptance. understand the draft is a crapshoot, but wanted to know if there have been instances where universally panned draft turns out to be a solid one. not even a single voice of support for our draft. the highest grade i could find is a C+.

2012 Seahawks draft
2001 Patriots draft.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Devin Lloyd 4.66, same as Wilson's second try. Hightower came out at 4.68 - what do you think he was running last year? What do you think Collins was running last year (if you could find him running, that is)?

LaVonte David ran a 4.57, McGrone ran a 4.43 (and yes, he hasn't taken a snap, like ANYONE coming in the draft, right? But he does have a year of NFL conditioning, learning the system, etc. - and no, McGrone wasn't taken as a special teamer. They only got him low because of his injury and it was clear he was missing a year. At the time they took him, they had all three of their top LBs: HT, Bentley, and McMillan on contract years.

Jabril Peppers ran a 4.46...speaking of him:

New York Giants: Jabrill Peppers establishing himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL

Jabrill Peppers is entering his fourth season in the NFL, establishing himself as one of the best safeties in the league.

empiresportsmedia.com

"In his rookie season with the Browns, Jabrill Peppers was playing mostly free safety in Cleveland’s defense that frequently utilized single-high safety. This did not exactly fit Peppers’s skill set, as he is more of a downhill thumper that thrives as a linebacker. That is the role he started playing full-time for the Giants in 2020."

Call him a safety if you want...read the article. Would you be surprised to see him on the field with Dugger and Phillips, all in or near the box? I wouldn't.

Two sub 4.5's and two 4.61-7 guys is not a SLOW LB corps in the NFL. Certainly, question marks abound, as they're redoing the entire second level other than Bentley. I wouldn't have minded an LB in the draft - I'm shocked they didn't take one.

But here's the thing: how many will be on the field, typically?

I wanted Lloyd in the 1st. After the drop to 29, he and Walker disappeared, I wanted Nakobi Dean (didn't know about his injuries - he's not much bigger than Peppers, by the way). I'm not trying to argue with you here, because I certainly understand your frustration. I really don't know why they didn't do some trading up and let Chenal/Christian Harris/Anderson/Muma slip away, since all of them were there for the second pick, and a couple for the THIRD pick at 85!. They must be okay with the guys I mentioned for what they want to play...and yes, it's a work in progress.

I was shocked to see them take a WR in Round 2, despite his speed. For all of that, however, they are faster right now at the second level than they were, by a lot, at the end of last year. I wouldn't be surprised if they bring in Dylan Moses (4.46) as a camp body, too.

Re: Hightower’s 40 pretty sure you had to time it with a sundial.