So what they need is another Curtis Martin. I say, you're better off trying to pry Stephen Jackson away from St. Louis than finding a Ray Rice, Kevin Smith, Jamaal Charles, Slaton, Tashard Choice or Hightower. Because, let's not forget, the Patriots can't draft. Or seem to conveniently "miss out" on the steals. Even when the talent is in front of their faces, they typically pass.
Almost every player, outside of the top 10, has question marks. Some of those players overcome those question marks or prove that they were unwarrented. Others don't - these are generally busts.
For the last season posters have brought up Cushing, Matthews and Maualuga. And yes, all three had good seasons although they might not have had such good seasons in the Pats scheme (and I appreciate your point about possibly changing the scheme, but for now it is what it is). Yet all three had question marks - Cushing and Matthews over possible size/steroids implications, Maualuga fell to the mid-second because of serious question marks over him over-pursuing and not having the speed to make up for it.
Possible busts after only the 2009 season: Aaron Maybin, Alphonso Smith, Eben Britton, Pat White (or at least he hasn't come close to finding a role yet) - all are players that some people had been suggesting for us pre-draft. Robert Ayers, another 1st round pass rusher, may only now be starting to come good for the Broncos.
Let's not even mention Vernon Gholston, Branden Albert, Derrick Harvey, Glenn Dorsey and Chris Long, all from the 1st round of the 2008 draft.
Simply, drafting is not an exact science. And we're not really all that bad at it - how about Vollmer, Pryor and Edelman this year?