The importance of getting it right in the draft

[lancerman]

 

[denverpatsfan]

Harry set this team back a decade.

 

[Trolltolls]

Bill did it again with Tyquan

 

[PowerRunRevival]

How many of the teams that drafted those players are going to make the playoffs this year? Definitely the 49ers but the Titans, Commanders, Seahawks and Steelers are unlikely to make the playoffs.

What is more important to people wins or having a WR1?

Pats drafts the last two years have been really good, unless all you care about is yards put up by a number one receivers

 

[Trolltolls]

How many of the teams that drafted those players are going to make the playoffs this year? Definitely the 49ers but the Titans, Commanders, Seahawks and Steelers are unlikely to make the playoffs.

What is more important to people wins or having a WR1?

Pats drafts the last two years have been really good, unless all you care about is yards put up by a number one receivers

Yeah we were better off with Nkeal unlike those losers with a WR1

 

[PowerRunRevival]

Yeah we were better off with Nkeal unlike those losers with a WR1

Obviously not, but the title of the thread is the importance of drafting. So the point seems to be that drafting for stats is more important than drafting for wins.

 

[Trolltolls]

Obviously not, but the title of the thread is the importance of drafting. So the point seems to be that drafting for stats is more important than drafting for wins.

The point is drafting a good WR, and stats reflect that

 

[Username]

Fantasy football has warped people's perspective

 

[TheRainMaker]

Bad drafts killing franchises is undefeated.

The team needs more impact players to come around like Uche. In fact, Uche is a rare survivor of the “3 year evaluation” rule by posters.

 

[Rob0729]

The question has to start being whether the Pats can't draft WRs or they cannot develop WRs. Thornton has the skills, but he looks lost on the field half the time. Maybe if Harry was drafted by another team and the Pats drafted Samuel like people thought they would, people would be talking about Harry being a stud and Samuel as a bust.

From what I have seen from the development of younger players in recent years at least in certain positions, I wonder if a lot of players are just wasted,

 

[upstater1]

FYI, only 2 of the 9 WRs taken in the first 2 rounds (Samuel and Metcalf) are playing well right now for the teams that selected them.

Some of them are considered good picks, like AJ Brown and Marquise Brown, but were traded to other teams because the teams that picked them didn't think they deserved huge contracts. Several of the other WRs busted: Campbell, Isabella, Harry, Hardman, Artega-Whiteside. Marquise Brown is looking increasingly like a guy who didn't deserve his contract. Dropped balls, 60 catches, 10 yds per catch.

We may look back at this great WR draft and realize there were only 3 hits out of the 9 taken in the 1st 2 rounds.

And that will largely be at the average for WRs drafted in the NFL.

Looking back 5 years, all the guys taken in the 1st 15 picks turned out well (except for Devonta Smith who we don't know much about yet).

 

[Brotherblues]

Yes, there were maybe 200 better players than N'keal in that draft. They whiffed on the pick. It is well documented and known to even the most casual fan. Not sure what we need to rehash here.

 

[upstater1]

The question has to start being whether the Pats can't draft WRs or they cannot develop WRs. Thornton has the skills, but he looks lost on the field half the time. Maybe if Harry was drafted by another team and the Pats drafted Samuel like people thought they would, people would be talking about Harry being a stud and Samuel as a bust.

From what I have seen from the development of younger players in recent years at least in certain positions, I wonder if a lot of players are just wasted,

Give some examples other than Harry (I would not count Thornton given the offense this year).

We don't draft WRs.

Mitchell was the last one we drafted prior to Harry, and for a 4th rounder, he ran precise routes and had good hands.

Before that we had a bunch of busts: Dobson, Taylor Price, etc. But these guys left after a couple years and never did anything with anyone else. I just think they weren't good. It had little to do with development. Young guys have succeeded here in the past.

If you can't play anywhere in the NFL, I think it's on you rather than the coaches.

I really don't know of any examples where a WR went elsewhere and developed unless of course they were underdrafted guys like Welker or Chris Hogan.

 

[upstater1]

Yes, there were maybe 200 better players than N'keal in that draft. They whiffed on the pick. It is well documented and known to even the most casual fan. Not sure what we need to rehash here.

200?

I know you're exaggerating for effect and I get it.

Of course, half the guys from that draft aren't around anymore. Some in the 1st round like CB Deandre Baker and QB Dwayne Haskins. Many more performed worse than Harry has. It's just how the NFL draft goes. Maybe 70-80 players were better.

 

[Trolltolls]

FYI, only 2 of the 9 WRs taken in the first 2 rounds (Samuel and Metcalf) are playing well right now for the teams that selected them.

Some of them are considered good picks, like AJ Brown and Marquise Brown, but were traded to other teams because the teams that picked them didn't think they deserved huge contracts. Several of the other WRs busted: Campbell, Isabella, Harry, Hardman, Artega-Whiteside. Marquise Brown is looking increasingly like a guy who didn't deserve his contract. Dropped balls, 60 catches, 10 yds per catch.

We may look back at this great WR draft and realize there were only 3 hits out of the 9 taken in the 1st 2 rounds.

And that will largely be at the average for WRs drafted in the NFL.

Looking back 5 years, all the guys taken in the 1st 15 picks turned out well (except for Devonta Smith who we don't know much about yet).

wut Devonta Smith is a baller

 

[Brotherblues]

200?

I know you're exaggerating for effect and I get it.

Of course, half the guys from that draft aren't around anymore. Some in the 1st round like CB Deandre Baker and QB Dwayne Haskins. Many more performed worse than Harry has. It's just how the NFL draft goes. Maybe 70-80 players were better.

Damn that's cold

 

[Kontradiction]

Harry set this team back a decade.

Well, Bill did. 8 straight years of anything from mediocre to terrible drafts essentially ended the dynasty. The team went through a period like that before - 2006 until 2010. Then 2010 and 2012 happened and we had to core of the second half of the dynasty.

 

[zimmy]

It's pretty clear bad drafting has set this team back since around 2015. We won in 2018 based on the last dregs of the championship era rather than any young guys.

However the last few drafts have shown a little promise. Dugger, Uche, Barmore, Onwenu, Stevenson all showing they are worth second contracts. What we really need to find is a true difference maker on offence and some better OL play.

 

[Boomer B]

How many of the teams that drafted those players are going to make the playoffs this year? Definitely the 49ers but the Titans, Commanders, Seahawks and Steelers are unlikely to make the playoffs.

What is more important to people wins or having a WR1?

Pats drafts the last two years have been really good, unless all you care about is yards put up by a number one receivers

Let's look at teams that have won the SB in the last few years and teams contending for it this year.

Rams: Cooper Kupp
Bucs: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski
Chiefs: Travis Kelce, Ty Hill
Bengals: J. Chase, T. Higgins
49ers: Deebo, McCaffrey, Kettle
Bills: Diggs
Vikings: J. Jefferson
Eagles: Brown, Smith

So yes, it does look like contending teams and recent SB winners have elite talent at the skill positions. Algohlor, Bourne, Thornton, and Meyers aren't keeping D co-ordinators up at night.

 

[Boomer B]

It's pretty clear bad drafting has set this team back since around 2015. We won in 2018 based on the last dregs of the championship era rather than any young guys.

However the last few drafts have shown a little promise. Dugger, Uche, Barmore, Onwenu, Stevenson all showing they are worth second contracts. What we really need to find is a true difference maker on offence and some better OL play.

The last few drafts have been decent, not great. We gotta hit on our high picks (Strange was a bad pick and Thornton not looking great either). At the end of the day Bill hasn't drafted an elite offensive talent since Gronk in 2010.