What Are Belichick's Draft Priorities

[patsfanfromoversea]

The number 1 goal for bb is to fix the offensive line. Regardless of who is at te, rb, wr or especially qb, we must have a quality line. Everything in football is about the offensive and defensive lines. Who can all pros act every skill position on offense, but if the offensive line sucks, you are not winning a lot of games.

bb has the medicals on all our offense linemen that were on ir and/or injured in 2019 and when it comes to the offensive line, that is a lot of guys.

bb has to get this right this year and have quality depth! No more jag’s like Newhouse on the roster!

bb’s job number 2 is fatties that can stop the run on the defensive line!

if he gets those two right, everything else is gravy!

I would like to add pass rush for a high priority esp after we lost van noy and collins who both had most of our sacks.

 

[catent]

Primary: Interior DL, WR, TE
Secondary: OL, RB, LB

 

[micronin127]

Have to at some point: QB, K (We need 3 QBs for camp and the 53-man, we need a kicker)
Urgent: DT, DE, OLB
High: S (need youth), OT, TE
Moderate: WR, C/G
Low: RB, CB, ILB
Won't: P, LS

 

[archstanton543]

In no particular order:

LB, K, TE, WR

Maybe QB.

 

[Water Boy]

In order:


LB - Considering we lost 3 linebackers to FA, I'd say that's our greatest need.
DT - Shelton is gone and AB could be gone too. We need a good 1 technique DL bad.
TE - Yes our TE situation is terrible, but LB/DT are more important IMO
OL - Could be a major need or something we don't need to spend high picks on this year

• Even if we keep Thuney, its possible he's gone next year. Not sold on Froholdt yet.
• Can we rely on Andrews and who's our back up C?
• Does Cannon have anything left in the tank? Cajuste is a complete unknown.

WR - give the draft depth at WR, hoping we can hit on a keeper in the later rounds
K - Hopefully we can get the guy we want in the 6th round

 

[Triumph]

The Patriots need just about everything.

You can justify without raising an eyebrow taking a TE,WR,LB,OL,DL,S and a QB with the 1st pick. If there was a game changing Ed Reed type Safety there @ 23 NE should pull the trigger. Minka Fitzpatrick to the Steelers totally transformed that defense and saved their season. Tyraan Mathieu turned the KC defense into one good enough to win a Super Bowl.

This Patriots draft has to hit it out of the ball park.

 

[patsbrasilpatriotas]

LB / TE / ED

 

[Patsgofor4]

To piss off Capt. Stone.

 

[farn]

Gunner on ST. Interior OL. Long snapper.

 

[Triumph]

To piss off Capt. Stone.

Everyone is going to be grabbing their pitch forks and calling for BB to get out of town if this draft is like some of the more recent Patriots stinkers.

Brady is no longer here to hide all the draft busts. The Pats kept winning and making the post season regardless of bad the NE drafts were. All that has changed. If Brady goes out in Tampa and starts lighting the NFL up because he finally has blue chip WR talent youre going to to the media and some fans turn on BB. A blockbuster Pats draft can avert the crap hitting the fan.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Anyone but a DB! If there is one thing that BB has proven over the years, is that he has zero ability to draft a DB. Larry King has better luck in choosing wives than BB has in drafting DBs.

Also stay away from QB, aside from Burrow and Tua, I'm not sold on any of them. If an Eason or Fromm are still available in the 3-5, sure go ahead and take a chance, otherwise, tank for Trevor!

If Derrick Brown drops anywhere into the teens, BB should move up and grab him! He will be the best player in this draft when it is all said and done. He has Aaron Donald's abilities in a much bigger body! None stop motor, will be a disruptive force on defense. Especially when you consider that BB is going to have to play inexperienced LBs (because they have no experienced ones left, aside from Dont'a), a disruptive DL is a MUST!

Players that if BB drafted them would make me cry....

Jordon Love, QB Utah State- not even close to being a NFL QB, I smell bust
Brandon Aiyuk (perfect name)- WR Arizona St-slow and short, and already hurt, everything BB looks for in a WR
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma- Big 12 doesn't play defense, won't be a factor in the NFL


First round picks I would be excited about if they fell to 23:

Javon Kindlaw, DT, South Carolina- doubt he makes it to 23, but if he is there, would be a steal
A.J. Espenza, DT, Iowa, ditto
Henry Ruggs III, WR Alabama-about time the Pats had a deep threat

 

[BTTA]

All depends on stidham. If we think he’s going to be the starter for years to come we need to add pieces around him. If we don’t BB should prioritize landing the next franchise qb. We need to solidify the most important position.

The number 1 goal for bb is to fix the offensive line...

Agree, which way these two dominos are leaning will determine what's left for all the other critical needs.

If they are good with Stidham, and they truly believe Andrews will play center, and Frodholt and Cajuste are healthy and potential starters, then the rest of the draft is wide open, and they can go with BPA at LB, DT, Edge, TE, WR. But if any or all of that isn't true, they will probably have to addressed first, and that severely thins the # picks.

 

[BTTA]

What's going to happen:
1. Trade out of the first, into the second, fourth, fifth, and pick #199.
2. Take a CB, S, and RB with first three picks.
3. Pick a QB at #199.
4. Sign three TE's as UDFA
5. Sit back and watch the media and Patsfans explode

 

[farn]

Everyone is going to be grabbing their pitch forks and calling for BB to get out of town if this draft is like some of the more recent Patriots stinkers.

Brady is no longer here to hide all the draft busts. The Pats kept winning and making the post season regardless of bad the NE drafts were. All that has changed. If Brady goes out in Tampa and starts lighting the NFL up because he finally has blue chip WR talent youre going to to the media and some fans turn on BB. A blockbuster Pats draft can avert the crap hitting the fan.

« Everyone »

 

[Patsgofor4]

Anyone but a DB! If there is one thing that BB has proven over the years, is that he has zero ability to draft a DB. Larry King has better luck in choosing wives than BB has in drafting DBs.

Unless you are joking this is a terrible take and just flat out wrong.

Asante Samuel
Eugene Wilson
Ellis Hobbs
James Sanders
Brandon Meriweather (did not live up to the late first round hype but did have a 9 year NFL career)
Darius Butler
Patrick Chung
Devin McCourty
Tavon Wilson (yes, overdrafted but has had a very solid NFL career, much better the majority of the DBs drafted his year)
Logan Ryan
Duron Harmon
Darryl Roberts

Keion Crossen (TBD)
Joejuon Williams (TBD)
Ken Webster (TBD)

This list obviously doesn't mention the multiple undrafted free agent CB hits.

Have there been some bad misses? Sure...Dowling, Cy Jones, Richards (if not draft far too early, would be considered a "hit" just for his special teams talent)...but the same could be said for every single team in the NFL. BB's ability to spot and draft/sign young DB talent is as good as anyone in the league, especially when he does not have the luxury of picking a "sure thing" in the first 15-20 picks of the first round.

 

[NYCPATS4LIFE]

Anyone but a DB! If there is one thing that BB has proven over the years, is that he has zero ability to draft a DB. Larry King has better luck in choosing wives than BB has in drafting DBs.

Also stay away from QB, aside from Burrow and Tua, I'm not sold on any of them. If an Eason or Fromm are still available in the 3-5, sure go ahead and take a chance, otherwise, tank for Trevor!

If Derrick Brown drops anywhere into the teens, BB should move up and grab him! He will be the best player in this draft when it is all said and done. He has Aaron Donald's abilities in a much bigger body! None stop motor, will be a disruptive force on defense. Especially when you consider that BB is going to have to play inexperienced LBs (because they have no experienced ones left, aside from Dont'a), a disruptive DL is a MUST!

Players that if BB drafted them would make me cry....

Jordon Love, QB Utah State- not even close to being a NFL QB, I smell bust
Brandon Aiyuk (perfect name)- WR Arizona St-slow and short, and already hurt, everything BB looks for in a WR
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma- Big 12 doesn't play defense, won't be a factor in the NFL


First round picks I would be excited about if they fell to 23:

Javon Kindlaw, DT, South Carolina- doubt he makes it to 23, but if he is there, would be a steal
A.J. Espenza, DT, Iowa, ditto
Henry Ruggs III, WR Alabama-about time the Pats had a deep threat

I actually like aiyuk. I don’t where you getting that slow stuff. His highlight tape is a lot better than harry. Reminds me of deebo samuel.

 

[State]

He’d say, “To make the team better.”

 

[ashley]

The only two positions that I would be really surprised if we drafted with one of our first 3 picks are cb and rb. Those are the two positions where we are in the best shape. Don't think we'd take an interior OL with our 1st pick either.

Every other position I think is fair game. I saw a few mocks with us taking a saftey with our first pick, saw lb taken and even qb mocked to us in the 1st round.

 

[Jimke]

Don't be surprised if the Patriots trade a couple of picks for veterans and dump the rest
of the picks into 2021 and 2022. They did this in 2007. With the pandemic, they have
not been able to prepare as much as usual.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

The only two positions that I would be really surprised if we drafted with one of our first 3 picks are cb and rb. Those are the two positions where we are in the best shape. Don't think we'd take an interior OL with our 1st pick either.

Every other position I think is fair game. I saw a few mocks with us taking a saftey with our first pick, saw lb taken and even qb mocked to us in the 1st round.

Something to keep in mind for folks looking at mocks, prospects - I'm pretty sure most of Bill's picks for OL, in the first 3 rounds, have some Tackle experience in college.