2018 Draft: Potential Early Round Patriots

[Super Nomario]

SI has the Pats taking LB Evans at 23 and then LB Vander Esch at 31. If that were to work out, suddenly linebacker goes from a weakness to having two exciting and talented young players to throw into the mix with Hightower and Van Noy, and that position becomes a major strength.

Bizarre. Have they watched football over the last 10 years and counted how many LB are typically on the field?

 

[Captaincoop]

The number of Hightowers typically on the field is zero, so I don't have a huge problem with it.

 

[Super Nomario]

Hightower is injury-prone, but so is Edelman, Mitchell, Gronk, Cannon, and Waddle, and using your first two picks on LB makes it difficult to add to those positions also.

 

[Saints Rest]

Latest from McShay about the Pats: "If you've heard anything, let me know. True to form, I've gotten nothing of substance about their draft."

 

[ehaz]

The Ringer just posted an excellent expose on Leighton Vander Esch. Covering his rise as a multi sport athlete from a town of 408 to a likely first round pick:

Once a scrawny kid, he showed up to the combine at 256 pounds, the heaviest linebacker in attendance. He proceeded to clock a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, record the fifth-fastest three-cone time at his position, and finish tied for second in the vertical leap with a mind-blowing jump of 39.5 inches. His NBA-type hops didn’t surprise anyone who had ever seen Vander Esch stuff a basketball. At Boise State’s annual Bronco Olympics last fall, the entire gym stopped to gawk at the aerial display he completed with ease. “He goes in there and frickin’ throws one down,” Harsin says. “Everyone in the gym was like, ‘OK, this guy, athletically, you’ve just got to give him his respect.’”

Vander Esch’s physical gifts have never been in question, but Avalos says that he’s come across plenty of players with absurd athleticism. What sets Vander Esch apart is his combination of rare traits and well-honed instincts. “That’s the hard part of finding guys to play inside linebacker, is getting ones who are able to build on their natural skills and develop that feel of playing in the box,” Avalos says. “For him, I think it was there.”

 

[bakahump]

I worry that LVE will be the 2017 equivalent to JJ Watt.
He makes alot of sense and could be a true defensive difference maker but doesnt make it to us.

Many of us thought that JJ Watt would slated for the 17th spot to the Pats in 2011.

In the end JJ didnt make it that far but there was alot of buzz about him to the Pats in all the mocks.

What could have been.

 

[Super Nomario]

I worry that LVE will be the 2017 equivalent to JJ Watt.
He makes alot of sense and could be a true defensive difference maker but doesnt make it to us.

Many of us thought that JJ Watt would slated for the 17th spot to the Pats in 2011.

In the end JJ didnt make it that far but there was alot of buzz about him to the Pats in all the mocks.

What could have been.

We ended up getting a good player at a premium position of need who helped win two Super Bowls in the next five years. If that happens again tomorrow night I'll be pretty pumped.

 

[bakahump]

It was by no means a bad job. Watt was gone so what do you do. "On to Solder". Its not like I said "Dumb BB, why didnt he pick XYZ".

In actuality Solder was probably the 2nd or 3rd best possible pick (Probably Wilkerson maybe Heyward) out of what was left.
So in my estimation (and too your point) a great job by BB.

My point was that the LVE buzz simply reminds me of that Draft. "Makes Sense from a need perspective". "In our Slot". "KId can be a difference maker". "Step in from day one". And I suspect he wont last anywhere near 23rd.

 

[SMU_Sox]

Another Jimmy Fund bet. Anyone that gets drafted or signed after the draft who was on that list = $5 per.

Edit: list being the one of visits from Pats Pulpit, Walter Football, and college connections (thank you for help there).

 

[EL Jeffe]

My final guesses (no trades; too hard to predict)

23: Leighton Vander Esch LB
31: Isaiah Winn OL (seems like a NE pick, wouldn't rule him out as the shortest starting LT in the league. If not, takes over for Shaq in a year)
43: Lorenzo Carter Edge
63: Nick Chubb RB (yes, three Georgia kids in a row)
95: Luke Falk QB
198: Ryan Izzo TE
210: Peter Pujals QB
219: Jordan Lasley WR

 

[pappymojo]

Not guesses, but more my ideal draft:

23) Lamar Jackson (QB)/Jaire Alexander (CB)/Leighton Vander Esch (LB)

31) Trade Back to somewhere between 34 and 40 plus another pick between a late 3rd and a mid-round 4th

Acquired Pick (34-40)) Jaire Alexander (CB)/Sam Hubbard (EDGE)/Maurice Hurst (DT)/ Isaiah Oliver (CB)

43) Tyrell Crosby (OT)/Lorenzo Carter (EDGE)/Frank Ragnow (OL)/Brian O'Neill (OT)/Carlton Davis (CB)

63) Trade Back to somewhere around 68 plus a late 5th

Acquired Pick (68-74)) Nathan Shepherd (DT)/Fred Warner (LB)/C Okorafor (OT)/Josh Sweat (EDGE)/Carlton Davis (CB)/ D Ejiofor (EDGE)/Orlando Brown (OT)

95) Luke Falk (QB)/ Kyle Lauletta (QB)/Dante Pettis (WR)/Darius Leonard (LB)/Derrick Nnadi (DT)/Quenton Meeks (CB)

I know some of the players may go before where I have them listed, but it's an ideal draft where I am hoping some players fall - Basically hoping to come out of the first three rounds having made five picks while also acquiring two later picks and getting one offensive lineman, one defensive back, one quarterback and two out of three for linebacker, defensive tackle or defensive end. In the later rounds, BPA - either double up on one of the positions above or get WR, TE, RB, S.

 

[Shelterdog]

My final guesses (no trades; too hard to predict)

23: Leighton Vander Esch LB
31: Isaiah Winn OL (seems like a NE pick, wouldn't rule him out as the shortest starting LT in the league. If not, takes over for Shaq in a year)
43: Lorenzo Carter Edge
63: Nick Chubb RB (yes, three Georgia kids in a row)
95: Luke Falk QB
198: Ryan Izzo TE
210: Peter Pujals QB
219: Jordan Lasley WR

Holy cannoli, good calles on Izzo and Winn!

 

[SMU_Sox]

Another Jimmy Fund bet. Anyone that gets drafted or signed after the draft who was on that list = $5 per.

Edit: list being the one of visits from Pats Pulpit, Walter Football, and college connections (thank you for help there).

I think the UDFA period is almost over. I am going to wait until Wednesday and tally up how much is going. I know I owe for Allen to the Bills ($25). Of the guys do drafted it’s 6/9 if we don’t count Wynn. I know the punter from Rutgers was on the list so at least $35 more there. When I have more disposable income I’ll make the stakes higher.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Guessing this has already been posted somewhere or other, but over the weekend I saw both Reiss and Schefter report that the conventional thinking that the Pats wanted Rashaan Evans at #23 but got Vrabled is incorrect. Evans was not the choice at #23... though apparently they were hoping for Vader Esch.

• Leading up to the draft, I wrote that Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans would be a good fit for the Patriots, but I’ve since learned that he wasn’t a serious consideration for them in the first round. Once Leighton Vander Esch was off the board in the first round (No. 19, Cowboys), the Patriots knew they weren't going with a linebacker with their No. 23 pick.

Reiss link: http://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4813367/why-cordarelle-pattersons-impact-could-be-greater-than-anticipated

Edit: The way Reiss' analysis is phrased -- "weren't going with a linebacker" -- makes you wonder if another position player drafted at #20 or #21 was atop their board. Those two players were Frank Ragnow (to Detroit), and Billy Price (to the Bengals).