2018 Patriots Draft/UDFA Reactions

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
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Jul 20, 2009
8,878
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Well, it is that time again. Christmas and Hanukkah had a baby for football fans called the NFL Draft. God personally tried to watch again at Cowboys Stadium but the roof was closed. On a personal note I was in heaven this weekend with you all here and then having a chance to go to the draft.

The list went 6/9 if we don't count Georgia as a Belichick - College connection and 7/9 so 77.8% of picks if we do count Georgia and 66.7% if we don't. If you want to look for potential UDFA's check it out.

So.

Let's recap:

1.23: Isaiah Wynn. OT/OG Smarter humans than me who specialize in the offensive line for ITP and NDT are in love with Wynn. And they think he can play and excel at tackle. If not we got an elite prospect who can either be a swing or backup tackle or an elite guard. Many had him as a top 15 talent in the class and most of the guys I follow had him cracking the top 10 or close to it.

I love our line next year. It's stacked. It is also stacked in 2019 and beyond. That's great.

1.31: Sony Michel. RB: a potential 3-down back who does projects to do everything well and has burst and speed to be a homerun threat. He is the perfect compliment to Gronk on the field. You will have no fucking clue what we are going to do.

2.56: Duke Dawson, CB: potentially versatile CB. He was a divisive prospect. I can't tell you with any confidence how this pans out but they needed a CB prospect to develop now and he fits their profile. Good job.

5.143: Ja'Whaun Bentley LB: If he replaces Roberts good /knee-jerk but he is a slower defend the run type of LB. That still plays a role in the NFL but this is the first pick where I don't like it based on the player.

6.178: Christian Sam LB: He is a potential 3-down LB and could excel as a middle of the field K&D defender. I think he has even more athletic potential based on his performance in 2015 pre foot injury in 2016.

6.210: Braxton Berrios WR: His 3-cone and 40 are ridiculous for a slot receiver in the 6th round. He is undersized but that's ok for a slot and return specialist. This guy is going to be so much fun to watch here. Loved this pick too. Masco called it the whole time too.

7.219: Danny Etling QB: PFF has discussed that the best predictor of NFL success is how you throw in a clean pocket and Etling was 6th there in 2018. Also, he's worked on his mechanics a lot. Ok, I am interested but absolutely no expectations here.

7.243: Keion Crossen, CB: Don't know much about him aside from his out of this world athleticism.

7.250: Ryan Izzo: We needed a blocking TE on the cheap and Izzo can do that. It's the 250th pick and they got a guy who does a limited role well.

UDFA's: TBD

Overall my biggest issue with this years haul is Sony Michel at 31 vs using that pick on a defender or trading down. I love Sony Michel. I love his fit with the Patriots. But I had thought that 31 should have been used on defense. Maybe Harold Landry or Sam Hubbard, or even Lorenzo Carter.

That being said they have this in 2019's draft:

1st
2nd (via Bears)
2nd
3rd (via Lions)
3rd (projected comp)
3rd (projected comp)
4th
5th
6th (projected comp)
7th
7th (via Eagles) 7th (projected comp)

6 picks in the top 100 next year and then they make 5 more in day 3.

Overall I think they netted 5 starters (some can play ST) in Wynn, Michel, Dawson, Sam, and Berrios with Etling as a complete unknown, and Ryan Izzo and Bentley give you sub-package players who are strong at the role they play. My biggest complaint is that they did not spend significant draft capital upgrading the front 7. But overall I'm happy. I think they did a good job. If you can get 5 starters from a draft pat yourself on the back. Realistically some of these guys are going to be busts but until it happens I will keep the faith. Also, I have not seen or read much of anything about Crossen other than he was on the visits list. Has anyone watched his tape?

So what did you all think of Draftmas?
 
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SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
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Jul 20, 2009
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Dallas
I don't know if we necessarily needed a blocking TE in Izzo but now we have one under contract (soon) to do that on the cheap for the near-mid future. It's hard to nitpick the 250th pick because... this isn't taking Michel over a defensive player at 31.
 

Cellar-Door

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Aug 1, 2006
34,460
I hate the draft less than I did after day 1. I like stocking up next year, I like Berrios, I like taking a flier on Etling over using a higher pick on Rudolph/Lauletta/etc.
I also really like SPARQ wonder Keion Crossen in the 7th (you forgot him on your list).

I already like Wynn who seems like worst case a solid guard, but best case Matt Light 2.0

I hated Michel.... but I'm softening, 31 is probably fine for a RB if you think he's a gamechanging 3 down talent, my reaction was probably colored by really wanting Jackson.

I think if you didn't like Jackson, next year was the year to look at a day 1 or 2 QB, and the extra 2nd and 3rd help there.
 

ZMart100

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Aug 15, 2008
3,188
You are missing Crossen at 7.243. I like what I've seen of him. Maybe Dawson is a FS? I don't quite understand how he fits.
 

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
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Jul 20, 2009
8,878
Dallas
I hate the draft less than I did after day 1. I like stocking up next year, I like Berrios, I like taking a flier on Etling over using a higher pick on Rudolph/Lauletta/etc.
I also really like SPARQ wonder Keion Crossen in the 7th (you forgot him on your list).

I already like Wynn who seems like worst case a solid guard, but best case Matt Light 2.0

I hated Michel.... but I'm softening, 31 is probably fine for a RB if you think he's a gamechanging 3 down talent, my reaction was probably colored by really wanting Jackson.

I think if you didn't like Jackson, next year was the year to look at a day 1 or 2 QB, and the extra 2nd and 3rd help there.
You are missing Crossen at 7.243. I like what I've seen of him. Maybe Dawson is a FS? I don't quite understand how he fits.

Michel is a 3-down talent but I have a problem describing any RB as game-changing. I know what you mean though by it and largely agree with you.

I cannot believe I forgot him! So sorry. He was also a list guy. Edited my original post.
 

edmunddantes

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Jul 28, 2015
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I’m assuming at least some of that 2019 haul will be traded away throughout the year to fill in gaps or poach a guy before he goes to waivers. Which is why it’s nice to have that haul so you don’t have to cripple your draft as much.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
72,440
I didn't like the Dawson, Bentley and Izzo picks, especially Dawson given how early. I don't think Izzo has a chance of making the team. I actually have more hope in Crossen than Dawson.

More upset by the Vrabeling with Evans/Wynn than BB/the pick.

Michel is one of my binkies, so no complaint there. The guy next to me watching the Rose Bowl actually predicted (big Dawgs fan) he'll come here and we'll ALL love him here by mid-season.

In BB we trust. The trading into 2019 is a good sign that he's coming back and that's the best part of the draft in some ways.
 

dcmissle

Deflatigator
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Aug 4, 2005
28,269
I’m happy this morning. Love the first round picks. Michel is going to terrorize. Eventually, I think, Berrios will terrorize.

Really happy getting Trent with the third round pick — especially after the Pats’ mid-round shenanigans. With any luck, the o-line should be fine.

This year I learned to take a walk during round 4.

This, too, sunk in with me finallllly. It was said well yesterday by Mayock or maybe Jeremiah. “The Patriots board of draftable players is notoriously small.”

That’s liberating. I am never again chasing this car off the porch — “This is a deep draft.” Fuck that; it’s almost meaningless. It may mean a great deal to fans of 28 or 30 teams. It should not be encouraging to us in terms of player yield. Wheeling and dealing, yes. The proverbial “haul”, no.

That’s why sensible and knowledgeable people here say ever year, “Bill must hate this draft.”
 

Granite Sox

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Feb 6, 2003
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It may be perennial post-hoc rationalization, but further to your point have been comments made along the way by B.B. about the impact of the CBA on the Pats’ view of the draft.

More specifically, the new CBA has limited practice/development time with players relative to earlier CBAs. With selections after the first round coming with only 4 years of control and with the vast majority of said draft picks needing significant development to make a contribution, perhaps the Pats are weighing the value of a roster spot vs. financial investment vs. time needed to contribute and just said that the middle rounds (2-4) don’t carry the value to the game day roster that they used to. We’ve seen more recent trading of these selections by the Pats for more developed “assets” (e.g. Rowe, Van Noy) that slot as regular contributors (excepting the QB position). A more efficient use of the draft capital? I don’t know... but it sure seems awful Patriot-y and something dimwits like Volin don’t understand.
 

edmunddantes

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Jul 28, 2015
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Somebody had a screen capture of the Pats depth chart during draft day 2 that came from one of the Patriots.com videos. You couldn’t read names of course. You can see they had two yellows that definitely reflected people believe the two round one picks (Pats appear to have Wynn as a LT. There were a ton of whites most likely meaning the current roster as they see it. Then another 20 or so blue and greys. They could only speculate but were assuming those are guys the team wanted.
 

bunchabums

New Member
Jul 16, 2005
531
It may be perennial post-hoc rationalization, but further to your point have been comments made along the way by B.B. about the impact of the CBA on the Pats’ view of the draft.

More specifically, the new CBA has limited practice/development time with players relative to earlier CBAs. With selections after the first round coming with only 4 years of control and with the vast majority of said draft picks needing significant development to make a contribution, perhaps the Pats are weighing the value of a roster spot vs. financial investment vs. time needed to contribute and just said that the middle rounds (2-4) don’t carry the value to the game day roster that they used to. We’ve seen more recent trading of these selections by the Pats for more developed “assets” (e.g. Rowe, Van Noy) that slot as regular contributors (excepting the QB position). A more efficient use of the draft capital? I don’t know... but it sure seems awful Patriot-y and something dimwits like Volin don’t understand.
BB would have made a great Portfolio Manager. He seems to consistently find market inefficiencies and then has the fortitude to exploit them when popular wisdom says otherwise. Alas, what the world could have been like with yet another obscenely wealthy investment manager... our loss.
 

Infield Infidel

teaching korea american
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Jul 15, 2005
11,463
Meeting Place, Canada
TE/FB Shane Wimann looks kind of awesome. Plays on the line as well as in the backfield, good hands and good at making adjustments on iffy passes. Check out the catch at :44 below. They split him out as well, he ran a bunch of different routes. Most of this video is him catching passes, but he also blocks well at the end of the line. Really fun to watch.


edit: NIU lists him as TE/FB, makes sense since he had 1 carry and 65 career catches
 
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SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2009
8,878
Dallas
Mike Reiss: Patriots were not looking to take Rashaan Evans in the first round. LVE was a guy they did covet though in the first. That makes some sense. LVE had better size and testing athleticism than Evans. The Patriots love size in their LBs. This was a weird draft year because some of the better prospects were off-ball linebackers. We saw 4 off-ball guys, although Edmunds might be an edge eventually, go in the top 22 picks. Meanwhile the top Off-ball linebacker had a drop-off after the 4 1st/2nd round guys got snatched up.

Mike also speculates that the Patriots were not seriously considering getting to #2 to draft Baker but had to sell that to his agent to be able to have him in for a visit.