Patriots draft grade 2012

[Doc-phin]

Seriously, not just me busting on a rival!  Their draft has licked big old donkey balls!

They only have one more draft pick left at 163, so I am ready to grade.  D!

Hightower was an ok pick but Jones was over drafted.

Wilson was waaaaaayyy over drafted.  Bequette is a relative non-factor.

They had all of those quality draft picks and wasted damn near all of them.  Are they losing it or what?  They keep drafting like this and Tom Brady won't be able to bail them out anymore.  The same thing happened to Shula/Marino!  Their only saving grace is that they had money to work with in free agency.

My point is this...  They appear to be setting themselves up for a major free fall within the next few years.  Gotta win in the draft if you want to win long term.

[MikeO]

Chandler Jones is very very overrated. Size is great. Arm length...all those things.

Put on pads and play and he is average at best and soft. Saw him up close and personal his entire college career. Nice player but that is where it ends. Just nice. Not a 1st round pick and not a future star by means.

I feared Miami taking him in Rd 2 at one point, he shot up the board because of I don't know why, just his natural size and not what he did in pads and in games.

[Doc-phin]

Wonder if Hoodie is at the emergency room getting some treatment for his scratched head.   

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I firmly beleive you can't grade a draft the day of the draft.  Need to wait 3 years.  You can grade the 2008 draft if you want.

Shawn Crable LB
Kevin O'Connell QB
Jerod Mayo
Matthew Slater
Jonathan Wilhite CB
Bo Ruud

[Pappy13]

I firmly beleive you can't grade a draft the day of the draft.  Need to wait 3 years.

I agree you need to wait, but not 3 years. 2 years maybe. At least 1. There are gonna be guys that require 3 years to really grade them, but it doesn't happen enough to make you wait that long to assess the draft as a whole. 1 guy that suddenly has a great year after 3 years doesn't change the fact that the first 2 years he didn't do much. I can't think of many elite players that showed nothing in their first 2 years. Even guys like Aaron Rogers, they knew he could play, he just had to wait his turn.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^^^ I agree with most of what you said.  I disagree with the part about Rodgers, the avg. fan could not grade the Packers draft until Rodgers actually played.  But for all but backup QB 2 years is probably enough. 

But grading this years draft at this point, is pointless. 

[Doc-phin]

I realize you can't grade drafts immediately Hoodie, but you can't tell me that you have any sense that the Patriot's draft has gone well other than relying on previous success.  How well have your previous draft choices on defense worked out (lately)?  Not so good! 

And from what I see, your team's trend of shitty defensive drafts continues this year. 

Yes these are predictions and projections and therefore inherently not accurate, but if I were a Pats fan I would be a bit worried that signs are present that the glory days won't be around much longer.  It really smells like the way things went at the end of Shula's career.  Sorry man, just the way I am seeing it.

[Sunstroke]

I disagree with the first few posters in this thread... Applying the ever-present prospect projection disclaimer... "Barring injury," I think both of the defenders New England traded up to get in round one (Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower) will have solid careers as NFL starters.

[Doc-phin]

I disagree with the first few posters in this thread... Applying the ever-present prospect projection disclaimer... "Barring injury," I think both of the defenders New England traded up to get in round one (Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower) will have solid careers as NFL starters.

Why waste picks to get them?  (moving in the draft)  I think they could have actually gotten a pick, moved down and still get both of those players.

They lost to much to get what they got.  That isn't good drafting.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I realize you can't grade drafts immediately Hoodie, but you can't tell me that you have any sense that the Patriot's draft has gone well other than relying on previous success.  How well have your previous draft choices on defense worked out (lately)?  Not so good! 

And from what I see, your team's trend of shitty defensive drafts continues this year. 

Yes these are predictions and projections and therefore inherently not accurate, but if I were a Pats fan I would be a bit worried that signs are present that the glory days won't be around much longer.  It really smells like the way things went at the end of Shula's career.  Sorry man, just the way I am seeing it.

Four pro-bowlers in the last four drafts.  Stacks up nicely compared to any other team. 

But, yes, I expect that the Patriots to evenually decline.  Just like things declined for the Dolphins at the end of Marino's career. 

[NYFin]

The good news for Hightower and Jones is they're going to New England.  The good news for Upshaw is he's going to Baltimore. The good news for DeCastro and Adams is they're going to the Steelers.  The good news for Randle is he's going to the Giants.

In other words, players that wouldn't work out on the Dolphins or most other teams can succeed in New England.  NE is one of the elite organizations in the NFL (like Pittsburgh, Baltimore and NYG) that can put their players in position to succeed.  

[Doc-phin]

Four pro-bowlers in the last four drafts.  Stacks up nicely compared to any other team. 

But, yes, I expect that the Patriots to evenually decline.  Just like things declined for the Dolphins at the end of Marino's career. 

Pro-bowl selections are popularity contests and you know it.  Luckily, many of the best players are the most popular but not so much for the Patriots.

Even your boy McGinnest weighed in on this with his comments on Wes Welker and how the Patriots made him who he is and not vice versa.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Pro-bowl selections are popularity contests and you know it. 

But they are all great players.  I can't recall a player ever going to the pro-bowl that wasn't a top calibur player. 

There are multiple accounts of players going in years that they weren't having a great (pro-bowl) year, based on the fact they had pro-bowl years in past years.  (E.g. Favre when he was a Jet).  With players with less than 4 years in the league they need to have been really great to get selected.  And that is what we are talking about here. 

[Doc-phin]

But they are all great players.  I can't recall a player ever going to the pro-bowl that wasn't a top calibur player. 

There are multiple accounts of players going in years that they weren't having a great (pro-bowl) year, based on the fact they had pro-bowl years in past years.  (E.g. Favre when he was a Jet).  With players with less than 4 years in the league they need to have been really great to get selected.  And that is what we are talking about here. 

Who are the 4 players you are referring to?  I can't remember.