With the 2022 NFL Draft in the books, it\u2019s time to look back and give an honest evaluation of what the Patriots did this week.\u00a0 I won\u2019t be giving a draft grade because you can\u2019t tell what these players will do or how they will develop for at least three years.<\/p>\n
Bill Belichick is arrogant.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t give a crap what you think of him, how he evaluates players, and what he does to pick his own groceries.\u00a0\u00a0 He has a clear disdain for the media and those who analyze and evaluate draft prospects.\u00a0 I think the only \u201cDraftnik\u201d he had any respect for was the late Joel Buchsbaum.\u00a0 At about the same time Mel Kiper was fashioning a career at ESPN analyzing the draft, Buchsbaum was locked inside his NY City apartment pouring over movies and videotapes to create his Draft Guide.\u00a0 He started in 1975 writing for Pro Football Weekly.\u00a0 Belichick admired him because he put in the time to do a thorough job.\u00a0 At his funeral, Belichick called him \u201cone of my best friends\u201d according to Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly.\u00a0 Belichick even offered him a job when he was with Cleveland.<\/p>\n
Mel Kiper has been doing his Draft Analysis for 38 years, starting in 1984 on the fledgling ESPN network. \u00a0You may agree or disagree with Kiper (I know I do), but he has earned the respect of all in the league (except Bill Polian).\u00a0 Kiper gave the Patriots his lowest grade of C- for the draft citing the reach selections of Cole Strange, Tyquan Thornton, and Jack Jones.\u00a0 At best, Strange was a 3rd<\/sup> round pick.\u00a0 During the draft, ESPN posted an analysis that there was a 96% probability Strange would be available at pick #54.<\/p>\n The Patriots got punked by the Bills selecting Kaiir Elam at pick #23.\u00a0 At the Patriots’ original draft position of #21, there were players available with similar draft grades at #21 and #29 but none were sure-fire 1st<\/sup> round grades.\u00a0 The Boston Globe floated the theory the Patriots wanted either Trevor Penning OT or Zion Johnson OG at #21.\u00a0 Filling the OG position was their top priority and those two filled a need.\u00a0 When those two were gone they traded the pick.\u00a0 The next priority was CB.\u00a0 They needed a shutdown man corner.\u00a0 There were two available in Trent McDuffie and Kaiir Elam.\u00a0 What they didn\u2019t anticipate was KC taking a CB and then Buffalo taking the other CB.\u00a0 That left them at #29 and panicking.\u00a0 They were not going to be punked again and they took Strange earlier rather than when they should have.\u00a0 They made sure they got their man.\u00a0 In my opinion, they needed a shut-down corner more than an OG.\u00a0 The Patriots have had a lot of experience drafting good OG in the 4th round.\u00a0 I know that each draft is different, but they could have waited.\u00a0 \u00a0They couldn\u2019t get off the field against Buffalo and without a shutdown corner, how were they going to get it done?<\/p>\n This Offensive line problem actually started with a mistake they made in the 2021 draft.\u00a0 The Patriots selected Ronnie Perkins in the 3rd<\/sup> round pick #96.\u00a0 They knew he was hurt and would probably need a medical red-shirt year, which is exactly what happened.\u00a0 Perkins dropped because of a medical issue.\u00a0 What they should have done was take OG\/OC Quinn Meinerz who played for DIII Wisconsin \u2013 Whitewater.\u00a0 I had an argument with Evan Lazar, CLNS Media, a very good draft analyst about Meinerz being an OG and he insisted he was a Center.\u00a0 Meinerz owned the Senior Bowl practices and taught himself how to play OC and shotgun snap.\u00a0 He did that very well at the Senior Bowl practices being named practice player of the week.\u00a0 This was his audition against other top D1 talents.\u00a0 Denver selected him two picks after Perkins and he ended up as their starting LG by season’s end.\u00a0 If the Patriots had taken Meinerz, they would haven\u2019t have had the problem at LG this season.<\/p>\n 1st<\/sup> Round Pick #29 Cole Strange OG Tennessee Chattanooga<\/strong> – I believe Cole Strange will be a very good player for the Patriots.\u00a0 His Relative Athletic Score (RAS) was 9.96.\u00a0 That was the 7th<\/sup> highest score of all guards drafted between 1987 – 2022 (1298 players).\u00a0 He is uber-athletic, tough, and smart, the three qualities Dante Scarnecchia said they look for in an OL.\u00a0 Strange was also a team Captain, and in the Patriots grading system, that gets him extra points. \u00a0The tape of his Kentucky (SEC) game was magnificent.\u00a0 He seals blocks, double-teamed NT, and then once controlled, climbs to the next level to block the LB creating a huge hole and eventual TD.\u00a0 On the negative side he tried to play OC at the Senior Bowl and failed miserably.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t shotgun snap and had difficulty getting into his passing stance from the Center position.\u00a0 He received a 0.0 pass-blocking grade. To his credit, he stayed with it at OC for the entire Senior Bowl week.\u00a0 This may have dropped him in the rankings and eyes of scouts.\u00a0 Strange can\u2019t play OC and I don\u2019t want to hear that he is the backup to David Andrews.\u00a0 \u00a0NFLmockdatabase had him as the #86th<\/sup> ranked player; ESPN had him ranked 69yj and ProFootball Weekly had him as #86 and the 5th<\/sup> ranked OG.\u00a0 I did a post-draft mock draft using PFF and picked Strange as the third Patriots selection at #58 and received an \u201cF\u201d grade for that selection.\u00a0 In fairness, there is a report that the Chicago Bears were in constant contact with Cole Strange and had their O Line coaches give him a private workout.\u00a0 They were hoping to take him at #39.<\/p>\n 2nd<\/sup> Round Pick #50 Tyquan Thornton WR Baylor<\/strong> \u00a0– \u00a0At pick #29 three cornerbacks (Andrew Booth, Roger McCreary, and Kyle Gordon) remained on the board. \u00a0\u00a0All three were gone by pick # 42.\u00a0 New Orleans surprised me with the selection of Alontae Taylor CB Tennessee at pick 49.\u00a0 That was a round earlier than expected. The Patriots traded up from 54 to 50 to acquire Thornton. \u00a0\u00a0My next priority would have been Linebacker.\u00a0 They need more speed from this position.\u00a0 Nope it was a skinny but fast WR from Baylor.\u00a0 As the draft went on, it became obvious the Patriots’ brain trust doesn\u2019t think they have a problem at LB.\u00a0 I do \u2026 They lost \u00be of their starting LB crew from last year.\u00a0 They traded for an undersized ILB in Mack Wilson (6\u20191\u201d 240 4.713 40).\u00a0 They drafted Cameron McGrone (6\u2019 237 lbs, 4.5 71 40) from Michigan last year knowing he couldn\u2019t play due to a knee injury.\u00a0 He would need a medical red-shirt year.\u00a0 Both are on the smaller side like the majority of college linebackers are now. \u00a0Raekwon McMillan was having a great camp last year when he blew out his knee.\u00a0 The holdover is De\u2019whaun Bentley who is just a 2-down LB that gets picked on by opposing running backs when he tries to cover them.\u00a0 There were three LBs available at pick 50. \u00a0I thought for sure they would grab LB Troy Andersen from Montana State, Chad Muma from Wyoming, or Leo Chenal from Wisconsin.<\/p>\n Thornton was the fastest WR at the combine.\u00a0 However, he is only 170 lbs at 6\u20193\u201d.\u00a0 He had his wrists measured at the combine and they were 6 \u00bd \u201c, the smallest of any receiver ever at the Senior Bowl.\u00a0 They say he has the quickness to get off press coverage, but that\u2019s not backed up by his pedestrian 7.25 3-cone drill.\u00a0 He has the worst 3-cone time of any Patriots WR including Matthew Slater.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t have that quick change of direction. His vertical leap of 38 \u00bd \u201c is great as is the 33 \u00be \u201c arm length. \u00a0\u00a0He caught 52 passes for 948 yards for a 15.3 average and 10 TDs in 2021.\u00a0 However, he doesn\u2019t add much in the yards after the catch area.\u00a0 He has small hands 8 \u00bc\u201d and drops a lot of passes.\u00a0 Will have trouble with contested catches.\u00a0 Thornton will stretch the field and give Mac Jones a legit player that can separate from DBs, a problem the Patriots had last season.\u00a0 A willing blocker despite his slight size and he will go across the middle.\u00a0 I can see him running those under routes.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t have much experience with the entire route tree.\u00a0 Does this mean that the 3-cone drill doesn\u2019t matter anymore? \u00a0If that was the case why didn\u2019t they draft Skyy Moore a more well-rounded WR than Thornton.\u00a0 Moore doesn\u2019t drop the ball, runs precise pass routes, and is great with yards after the catch.<\/p>\n 3rd<\/sup> Round Pick # 85 Marcus Jones CB Houston<\/strong> – \u00a0Over the last few weeks, Marcus Jones has been occupying this draft slot at pick #85 in all the mock drafts I did.\u00a0 He is the only pick I correctly selected in my last Patriots Mock Draft.\u00a0 The reason I selected him was his outstanding Punt Return skills.\u00a0 The Patriots had a need there and M Jones immediately fills the need.\u00a0 He will make an impact here.\u00a0 As far as his skills as a DB, that will come slower.\u00a0 He has good skills but his size at 5\u20198\u201d 170 lbs. will hurt him.\u00a0 Jones has outstanding speed (4.38e per NFL Draft Scout).\u00a0 He was unable to perform at the combine or pro day workout due to offseason shoulder surgery on both shoulders.\u00a0 This along with his size may have dropped him in the rankings.\u00a0 \u00a0Jones was productive at Houston last year with 47 tackles, 13 PBU, and 5 INT.\u00a0 His production on special teams ranked him #1 in the country.\u00a0 He had 15 KO for 510 yards. 34 YPA and 2 TDs. \u00a0His numbers for Punt Returns were equally dangerous with 26 PR, 374 yards, 14.4 avg and 2 TDs.\u00a0 Marcus Jones can also play wide receiver.\u00a0 He had 10 catches for 109 yards and a TD last year for the Cougars.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be surprised if you see Jones lined up as a receiver with that speed.\u00a0 \u00a0Look for Jones to end up as a slot DB covering players like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Gabriel Davis.\u00a0 Good pick and fills a need.<\/p>\n 4th<\/sup> Round Pick #121 (acquired from KC) Jack Jones CB Arizona St<\/strong> – \u00a0\u00a0Jones had been linked to the Patriots over the last few weeks.\u00a0 This is another player that was drafted too early.\u00a0 Many teams were down on Jacks Jones because of the Red Flags in his background not his play on the field.\u00a0 He was kicked out of USC for academic reasons.\u00a0 He enrolled at Moorpark Community College and then Arizona State and was charged with a Breaking and Entering a Panda Express restaurant at 3 in the morning.\u00a0 At USC he had 13 PBU and 5 INTs as a freshman in 2017.\u00a0 The former 5-star recruit had an outstanding season with the Sun Devils recording.\u00a0 He was also suspended by ASU for fighting in 2020.\u00a0 He ran a 4.51 40, 35\u201d Vertical Leap and then had a 6.90 3-cone at his Pro Day).\u00a0\u00a0 The 5\u201911.2 \u201c 177 lbs Jones is a \u201cballer\u201d according to Maurice Jones-Drew on the NFL Network\u2019s Draft Coverage.\u00a0 For his career, he had 29 PBUs, 10 INT, and a 78.8 Grade from last season from PFF.\u00a0 He was a confident outside corner and it shouldn\u2019t be too long before we see Jones on the field.\u00a0 Jones is also 24 years old.\u00a0 The Patriots aren\u2019t afraid to take older players in the draft.<\/p>\n I like the selection of Jack Jones but not at pick #121.\u00a0 Many teams had him off their board because of his off-field issues.\u00a0 It would have been more appropriate if he was selected with pick # 183.\u00a0 \u00a0Carolina took the last of the linebackers with size and speed when they selected Brandon Smith of Penn St at pick #120.\u00a0 Smith ran a 4.52 40 at 6\u20193.4\u201d 144 lbs. and did a 6.94 3-cone.\u00a0 I think the Patriots wanted him and panicked after losing him hey took Jack Jones earlier rather than risk losing him.<\/p>\n 4th<\/sup> Round #127 Pierre Strong RB South Dakota State<\/strong> – \u00a0I originally had Pierre Strong in my final mock draft but had to change it when the Patriots made that pre-draft trade with Houston.\u00a0 They traded pick #170 for #183 and #245.\u00a0 When they did that Strong wasn\u2019t available at #183.\u00a0 Even this pick was about a round higher than it should have been.\u00a0 I love what Strong brings to the Pats.\u00a0 This is what The Athletic\u2019s The Beast Draft Guide by Dane Brugler had to say about Strong\u00a0 \u201cComposed feet between the tackles \u2026 sets up his moves and sticks his foot in the ground to cut away from would-be tacklers \u2026 has widescreen vision, and shows a natural feel for lane development \u2026 presses the hole before cutting back \u2026 outstanding speed on the outside zone to create chunk plays and create conflict for second-level defenders \u2026 capable receiver out of the backfield with steady hands (also went 9-for-9 for 208 yards and six touchdowns as a passer in college) \u2026 highly productive and became just the third player in school history to reach 4,500 career rushing yards.”\u00a0 A weakness is that he too often goes down on 1st<\/sup> contact and he fumbled 5 times as a Senior.\u00a0 He is very good at blitz pickup and should be good as a 3rd<\/sup> down pass blocker. Strong\u2019s career numbers:\u00a0 631 rushes for 4, 527 yards, 7,2 YPC, 40 TDs; 62 receptions for 581 yards, 9.4 YPC, 3 Tds; 9 for 9 passing, 208 yards, 6 TDs.\u00a0 He was underutilized as a receiver.\u00a0 He should challenge James White or at least allow White extra time to recover from his hip injury on the PUP list. \u00a0Pro Football Focus Draft Guide had this to say \u201c It’s been a long time coming for the redshirt senior back who’s been carrying the load for the Jackrabbits ever since 2018. That season he averaged over 9.0 yards per carry and went for 1,116 yards. Since then, he’s been known for his explosive ability with 76 of his 627 career attempts going for 15- plus yards. With his speed, he’ll continue to be a big-play threat in every offense he’s in. If he can improve his hands (nine drops on 71 career catchable), he can also be a weapon in the passing game.\u00a0 Can get north-south in the blink of an eye. Top-notch standstill burst.\u00a0 Good luck catching him in the open field. Top-end speed is elite.\u00a0 Runs square to the line as long as possible.\u00a0 Allows him to change lanes easily”.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t tell I really like this pick.\u00a0 Strong was the fastest RB at the combine at 4.37 40 and had a 38\u201d vertical leap.\u00a0 The 4.37 was the fastest for an RB at the combine.<\/p>\n Round 4 Pick # 137 Bailey Zappe QB Western Kentucky<\/strong> \u2013 He put up video game numbers at Western Kentucky.\u00a0 He set an NCAA record with 62 TD passes in 2021.\u00a0 That translated into 5, 967 yards on 681 attempts and 11 Ints.\u00a0 Zappe stands 6\u20190.4\u201d 217 lbs and runs a 4.88 40 and 6.97\u00a0 3-cone drill.\u00a0 He is extremely accurate throwing at 69.2 % completion rate.\u00a0 According to PFF, Zappe\u2019s Adjusted Completion % was 77.4%.\u00a0 That was 10th<\/sup> amongst all QB in college football (no matter what division).\u00a0 Kenny Pickett was 78.8% good for 4th<\/sup>.\u00a0 This selection is more about finding a long-term backup to Mac Jones.\u00a0 Brian Hoyer will be 37 in October.\u00a0 \u00a0He is signed for two seasons.\u00a0 The drafting of Zappe really is trouble for Jarret Stidham.\u00a0 Zappe is not known as a deep threat QB but is more of an accurate intermediate thrower.\u00a0 He throws a nice ball and leads his receivers past the defenders allowing for Yards After Catch.\u00a0\u00a0 I really don\u2019t have a problem with the selection but in my post-draft mock, I eliminated this selection.<\/p>\n Drafting a QB has been a staple of Belichick drafts.\u00a0 Matt Cassell, Jimmy Garoappolo, and Jacoby Brissett were traded with Cassell and Garoppolo fetching a better return than where they were drafted.\u00a0 Brissett was one-for-one for Phillip Dorsett coming to New England.\u00a0 Belichick drafted two NFL Head Coaches Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona) and Kevin O\u2019Connell (Minnesota) and a possible third in Zac Robinson the Passing Game Coordinator for the LA Rams.<\/p>\n Round 6 Pick #183 Kevin Harris RB South Carolina<\/strong> –\u00a0 Harris led the SEC in rushing in 2020 with 1168 yards and a 7.2 YPC and 15 TDs.\u00a0 In 2021, Harris was recovering from back surgery and ran for 662 yards and 4 Tds.\u00a0 Between the two seasons, he had 32 catches for 248 yards, a 7.75 average, and a TD.\u00a0 Harris played through pain last season but should be fully recovered this season.\u00a0 Obviously the Patriots medical team gave them the thumbs up in order to draft him.\u00a0 \u00a0Harris stands 5\u20199.7\u201d 2220 lbs and ran a 4.62 40 with a bad hamstring.\u00a0 This pick reminds me of another productive SEC running-back, Brandon Bolden.\u00a0 Bolden ran a 4.66 40.\u00a0 Could this be a 4 team Special Teamer in the making?<\/p>\n Round 6 Pick #200 Sam Roberts DT Northwest Missouri State<\/strong> \u2013 Roberts is the second Cliff Harris Award winner selected by the Patriots in three years (Kyle Duggar 2019). \u00a0\u00a0The Harris award is to the Top Defensive player in Division II.\u00a0 He led the Bearcats with 12.5 tackles for loss and had 5 sacks amongst his 47 total tackles in 2021.\u00a0 Roberts is 6\u20194.6\u201d 293 lbs and ran a 5.14 40 despite injuring his groin on the 40 (projected 4.98).\u00a0 A devote Patriots fan before being selected, Roberts proclaimed he was a big Brady guy and the Patriots were his team.\u00a0 Later he posted on Twitter in a Patriots Edelman jersey with a few words of encouragement for all those Chiefs fans out there!<\/p>\n Round 6 Pick #210 \u00a0\u00a0Chasen <\/strong>Hines <\/strong>G, LSU \u2013 <\/strong>At 6\u20192.6 331 lbs Hines is a little stout for OG and more in line with the OC position.\u00a0 I am a little concerned that he could only pop 20 reps on the Bench Press.\u00a0 Ran a 5.22 40.\u00a0 Thick lower body.\u00a0 Moves surprisingly well for a man of his size.\u00a0 \u00a018 starts at RG and 1 at LG.\u00a0 Listed as backup OC on the depth chart.\u00a0 A developmental player that could make the team depending on how the RG\/OC backup positions are decided.\u00a0 If he could fill both positions that would be a big plus for him.\u00a0 Hines was listed at 349 lbs as his playing weight but was recorded at 331 lbs at the combine.<\/p>\n Round 7?Pick #245 \u00a0Andrew Stueber, G, Michigan \u2013 <\/strong>Stueber was part of the Michigan O line that won the Joe Moore Award for the Top college football.\u00a0 Participated in the Senior Bowl.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Started 20 games at RT and 2 at RG in 34 games played.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>At 6\u20196.5\u201d 325 lbs with 34\u201d arms, Stueber has the size to play RT in the NFL.\u00a0 Stueber never ran a 40-yard dash.\u00a0 NFL Draftscout estimates his 40 as 5.38.\u00a0 I am concerned that he only lifted the bar 18 times for his Bench Press. \u00a0I actually like the drafting of Stueber.\u00a0 He could be a developmental candidate for RT.\u00a0 It might mean a year on the Practice Squad.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I think the Patriots ran out of prospects on their Draft Board after the Bailey Zappe selection.\u00a0 Starting with pick #183 Kevin Harris, the remaining selections were Priority Undrafted Free Agents that they decided to draft rather than having to compete with other teams for their services if they were actually Undrafted Free Agents.<\/p>\n I was clamoring for more speed and this time the Patriots went extreme and got more team speed.\u00a0 \u00a0Now let’s see how they perform in training camp and look for more Free Agent signings as the Patriots have Three open roster spots with the release of RB Devine Ozigbo.\u00a0 We have 7 Undrafted Free Agents signed that we know of.\u00a0 \u00a0We also know of two invitees to rookie camp.\u00a0 I will highlight them in my next article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the 2022 NFL Draft in the books, it\u2019s time to look back and give an honest evaluation of what the Patriots did this week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":41075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22767],"tags":[22830,23005,22991,23000,22980,22864,22997,22987,44,22990,22999,22986],"class_list":["post-41279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2022-patriots-draft","tag-2022-patriots-draft","tag-andrew-stueber","tag-bailey-zappe","tag-chasen-hines","tag-cole-strange","tag-jack-jones","tag-kevin-harris","tag-marcus-jones","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-pierre-strong","tag-sam-roberts","tag-tyquan-thornton"],"yoast_head":"\n