The Pats really need a good draft this year

[Ochmed Jones]

This draft is so deep and talented, there is no doubt in my mind that we come away with at least a half dozen players that contribute next season, with two or three becoming big time contributors.

I think we resign three or four of our own free agents and sign three or four other team free agents and our team is drafting #32 again next season.

 

[meatface]

You'll get no argument out me re Richards. One of the most baffling picks I can recall.

Its not really fair to him, he could very well be like Tavon Wilson where he goes elsewhere and us a good starter. Its not his fault that he has been stuck behind Chung

 

[AzorianPats]

2014 is probably the weakest, not helped by the Easley bust pick, but one should also recognise that it gave us a borderline SB MVP and someone who could be about to be traded for plus value. I think our drafts have been fine and it's only that Easley, Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins are no longer on the team that makes it look worse.

Considering they draft at the end of the first every year (sometimes not even that) find me another team that drafts as good as the Patriots?

The only bust pick in recent history as been Easley. Jones and Collins were great picks that became All pro/pro bowl players and helped us win a SB. We just weren't going to pay them too dollar.

2014 draft looks bad in hindsight, but the jury still out on Jimmy. If he nets us a boat load of picks, or if he's next to take over the throne, that alone makes 2014 a hell of a draft. Not to mention concussions did him in but Stork was important in winning #4, and of course Malcom Butler.

Truth is we have been drafting impact player since 2009 (Chung, Vollmer, Edelman)

If you look at every draft since, we've drafted 2-3 guys that had major impacts on this team either getting to, or winning a SB.

2009: Chung, Vollmer, Edelman
2010: Mccourty, Spikes, Gronk, Hernandez
2011: Solder, Vereen, Ridley, Cannon
2012: Jones, Hightower, Ebner?
2013: Collins, Ryan, Harmon
2014: Jimmy G, White, Stork, Butler
2015: Brown, Mason, Flowers, Andrews
2016: Thuney, Mitchell, Valentine, Brisett, Roberts

Now a lot of those guys aren't on the team anymore but that's just the natural turnover rate in the NFL. That shouldn't diminish what they did as a Patriot or the pick itself.

 

[BTTA]

I wouldn't say I am a glass half empty kind of guy I just don't think the 2015 draft was that good. It wasn't horrible but I think you need more than what they got on average to sustain their super bowl hopes. If Flowers turns into a true star it would change my view point but I am not betting on that yet.

What does Flowers need to show at this point? He's doing very well at the most important thing for a Pats defensive player: dependably playing the gaps and pass rush lanes he's assigned. That automatically cuts down on the flashy plays that most fans associate with defensive stardom, and which ultimately caused Jones and Collins to not be players the Pats coaches could count on. Despite this, Flowers is still showing up with big plays at the most important moments. That's quite remarkable. He may in fact have been the best player on the defense in 2016, as one of the analysts proclaimed during the SB broadcast.

 

[BTTA]

The only bust pick in recent history as been Easley. Jones and Collins were great picks that became All pro/pro bowl players and helped us win a SB. We just weren't going to pay them too dollar.

I'm just not that sure about those two guys. In the Pats defense, it is more important to not give up big plays than it is to make them. Watching Collins run down the field chasing Lynch in the SB...blowing that assignment at that time requires three or four sacks to make up for it. A proper evaluation of this type of player in the Pats D isn't easy.

This is one reason why it is difficult for the Pats to draft in the first two rounds. Those players have been super stars since high school, and given an absurd amount of positive feedback about their individual exploits in a sport. There aren't many of them who are emotionally capable of switching to the "team first" mindset that the Pats requires, particularly on defense. They are trained to chase after highlight film plays and to think like fantasy football fans. That's why the Mayos, Wilforks et al are worthy of the high #1, whereas in other years the Pats trade out of those spots.

 

[scout]

Read a good article this morning in the Herald explaining BB's drafting.

Guregian: Bill Belichick’s plans for Patriots roster will be right on schedule

 

[patsinthesnow]

The 2014 draft class is deceptive.

Draft Trade Chart | ProFootballTalk

1. Jimmy G may get us 1500 points in draft capital in a trade (Pick #12 + a future 2nd). That's the equivalent of a team's entire draft drafting at pick #21.

2. Malcolm Butler is a top 5-10 pick in a redraft. I'd argue #4 behind Carr, Donald, & Mack.


While the draft class itself was poor, the 2014 rookie class may power the 2nd dynasty between Butler's SB heroics/#1 CB play on the cheap and the incoming draft haul from a Jimmy G trade.

 

[manxman2601]

Read a good article this morning in the Herald explaining BB's drafting.

Guregian: Bill Belichick’s plans for Patriots roster will be right on schedule

It's an interesting thesis but I'd like to see a larger sample size to judge whether that is planning rather than mere coincidence. After all, most people recognise that pass rusher, linebacker and cornerback are probably our biggest needs this year without needing to reference to the NFC South. And yet, if we drafted those positions early in this draft, one could shoehorn Guregian's narrative into explaining that and yet it's simply the case that those are our biggest needs. Personally, I think BB thinks longer term than that narrative suggests.

Still, any views are worth considering so thanks for posting the link.

 

[BelichickFan]

We did OK in those years, though not through the top picks. I agree, though, this is a big year. Extra picks (maybe more to come) and a good bit of age on the roster. I'd love to trade JG for a #2 this year and a #1 (or lower pick combination package) and rebuild it. We got two SB wins from the Jones/Hightower/Collins era drafts. An extra #2 would give us picks in every round except 6 and extra picks in 2,3,5. We'd have 1,2,2,3,3,4,5,5,7 with more extra picks in 2018. We'd still compete for SB but could rebuild on the fly for one last Brady era rebuild. Between TE, RB, DL, LB - maybe WR - we have tons of areas to get talented young guys in.

I duck when I say this but I see a slight rebuild & compete about to start as opposed to throwing all our chips in. And although the dollars will be less I would over pay Ryan & Harmon before I would Hightower and Bennett.

 

[captain stone]

I wouldn't over-pay for Harmon.

 

[Ivan]

Last years draft was fine but we need another one like that this year or even better.

Here is how i see the drafts as of recently.

2010 - very good but Gronk/McCourty are being paid now.
2011 - good but Solder/Cannon are getting paid now
2012 - good but Hightower will be getting paid this year
2013 - good but Ryan/Harmon will be getting paid this year.

The issues came in 2014 and 2015. They hit pretty well from 10-13 but if you miss in too many drafts it is going to come back to bite you

2014 - Bad draft saved by maybe trading Jimmy G and getting lucky finding Butler. Your best drafted player still on the team who helped after Brady came back is James White . Not enough.

2015 - Brown has been an okay starter but not great. Flowers was the real find of this class. Mason has only been an okay starter but not great he seems to have trouble vs stunts and athletic DTs. Jackson up to now is a JAG till we know otherwise. Overall has this draft didn't offer too much for me. It wasn't as bad as 2014 but still not good enough.

I have little issue with the 2016 draft especially considering there was no top pick. I think that was a good draft.

I am just concerned about having another underwhelming year. I think the Pats need to play catch up on young talent which is a hole i think they dug themselves in with 2013 and 2014.

How many players per draft/UDFA do you expect to turn into significant players?

2014-Garrapolo who they may get a high first for. Malcolm Butler, who is a top CB in the NFL, and James White, who turned into Kevin Faulk this year, that's a really good draft imo. C. Fleming has become a good rotational OL for their big packages. D. Andrews has become a good starting center for them. Cardona has become a good long snapper, and Grissom is still a developmental player.

2015-M. Brown, we really disagree on Brown, I think he's a very good DT, you clearly don't. T. Flowers, imo he's turning into s first rate DL and pass rushing force. S. Mason, has turned into a great run blocking OL but still needs work as a pass blocking OL. Jackson is just depth so far but J. Jones has turned into a great ST player who is getting more time in the CB rotation.

Imo they have drafted much much better with Caserio and their last 3 drafts have been critical to their success the past two seasons. I think they will have another really strong draft in 2017, we'll see?

 

[Ivan]

For the record I consider UDFA's as an extended part of their draft's as they are a significant part of their scouting and evaluations for players coming out of school. Hitting on them makes a big big difference in the long haul.

 

[Husse]

How many players per draft/UDFA do you expect to turn into significant players?

2014-Garrapolo who they may get a high first for. Malcolm Butler, who is a top CB in the NFL, and James White, who turned into Kevin Faulk this year, that's a really good draft imo. C. Fleming has become a good rotational OL for their big packages. D. Andrews has become a good starting center for them. Cardona has become a good long snapper, and Grissom is still a developmental player.

2015-M. Brown, we really disagree on Brown, I think he's a very good DT, you clearly don't. T. Flowers, imo he's turning into s first rate DL and pass rushing force. S. Mason, has turned into a great run blocking OL but still needs work as a pass blocking OL. Jackson is just depth so far but J. Jones has turned into a great ST player who is getting more time in the CB rotation.

Imo they have drafted much much better with Caserio and their last 3 drafts have been critical to their success the past two seasons. I think they will have another really strong draft in 2017, we'll see?

Just a note, Jonathan Jones was a 2016 UDFA. Beyond that I agree we've had solid drafts the last few years considering where we've picked.

 

[Ivan]

Just a note, Jonathan Jones was a 2016 UDFA. Beyond that I agree we've had solid drafts the last few years considering where we've picked.

I'm pretty sure Jones was picked up in 2015, he's listed as having two years experience.

 

[Husse]

I'm pretty sure Jones was picked up in 2015, he's listed as having two years experience.

All the rookies from last year are listed with 2 as experience on the Patriots website. When does/did the new league year start? It could be because of that, and they are all in their second year so their experience is considered as 2.

 

[willard]

Given the Free Agents we stand to loose and the reported strengths of this draft matching our need I expect us again to have a strong draft. I think overall we have done well the past 5 years.

We are going to loose at least a couple of important players and perhaps a half dozen by letting them go test FA to find their value. I respect how the Patriots are doing this from an economic point of view, but more importantly how they are doing it from a player relations standpoint. These are guys who have worked real hard. Won 2 super bowls in the last 3 years and been to the conference championship every year they have been here. This is their chance to make bank and the Patriots are not fostering negative feelings by offering much lower salaries than they will see on the open market. Teams will want to bring some of that Patriots experience onto their team.

I feel sure we will add a rb, db and te through the draft or urfa. Would like to see a lb or edge rusher drafted too, but in the past the Patriots have gone more for FA.

 

[Ivan]

All the rookies from last year are listed with 2 as experience on the Patriots website. When does/did the new league year start? It could be because of that, and they are all in their second year so their experience is considered as 2.

You're right, my mistake.