In my last blog I gave the New England Patriots a B+. I thought they filled a lot of positions, but the lack of a running back and fist round pick kept me from giving them an A. Lets take a look at the other teams in the Pats division.
New York Jets - (B), I liked the Jets first round pick in Kyle Wilson. I thought they should have grabbed a pass rusher like Jerry Hughes instead. Wilson was not a bag selection by any means. Vlad Ducasse is a tackle out of UMASS who should transition into guard. They other two picks went to running backs. Joe McKnight and John Connor. McKnight is a runner with a ton of hype coming out of high school. He never lived up to it at USC. He's fast and has great hands. McKnight has the potential to be a great piece. If he doesn't take advantage and work hard, he'll just be another name in the league. Connor is a big big in the Shonn Green mold. More of a full back but can be used in short yardage situation. He is nice depth for the Jets, should anything happen to Green.
Miami Dolphins - (A-), I like what the Phins did. First rounder Odrick will be a great fit at D-end. Second round they grabbed a high motor speed rusher in Koa Misi. Misi will fill the void of Joey Porter's departure via free agency. I really like the third round selection in guard John Jerry. Jerry could start at multiple positions on the line. He just needs to control his weight. The two fifth rounders were nice secondary pieces. They add depth and should contribute on special teams and some on defense. another good parcells draft.
Buffalo Bills - (C+), C,J. Spiller is a tremendous athlete. He could be a excellent pro if he can stay healthy. But running back was not a position of need for a team with holes all over the roster. The next two picks were spent on D-line which is smart. second and third rounders, Torrell Troupe and Alex Carrington will add depth and could start at some point for a line that gave up a ton of yardage on the ground. Ed Wang from Virginia Tech could find himself starting due to a poor offensive line. He was a fifth round pick. I think they really struck out not grabbing Anthony Davis(LT) round one and Jimmy Clausen(QB) round 2. Again, Spiller is a good player, but not a need.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The New England.....Gators?
The round one pick by the New England Patriots came with much scrutiny. Devin McCourty from Rutgers went to the Pats. My hope is that he steps in at free safety and nickle next season.
I think the Patriots had a solid draft and in the end, patched some holes.
I liked their first selection in round two. They filled a major need by grabbing tight end Rob Gronkowski out of Arizona. Gronkowski is a huge end at 6'5'' 260 pounds with great hands. With the next two picks in the second round, the Pats grabbed two teammates from the Florida gators. Both defensive players who can help immediately. Jermaine Cunningham played defensive end in college. He should fit great at outside linebacker in a pass rushing role. Cunningham is very fast coming off the edge. He is also solid against the run, which can make him a three down linebacker. The third pick in round two was spent on Brandon Spikes an inside linebacker. Spikes is a leader who was the heart of the Gators defense. Spikes isn't a fast player but playing inside in a 3-4 defense he doesn't have to be. I like the thought of him lining up next to Jerod Mayo. He loves to hit and is great against the run and better against the pass than he gets credit for. Great pick, he is passionate about the game of football. I fully expect him to be the leader of the defense for years to come once he gets comfortable in the New England defensive scheme.
The Patriots had one pick in round three. The grabbed Taylor Price from the university of Ohio. Price has great speed and nice size. He needs to work on his hands a bit. Taylor showed he can play against top competition when he had a very nice game against Tennessee this past season. His quarterback held him back a bit. He plays tough and doesn't mind getting hit. He may never be the top dog on the Pats roster but should be a fine number two receiver at some point.
In the fourth round New England took another tight end in Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez has a much different game that Gronkowski. His speed is tremendous for an end who is 6'2'' 250lbs. He has been clocked in the 4.5's and his hands are good. One major plus is the fact he can line on and off the line of scrimmage. Something the Pats will need with Welker out much of next season. This was a very smart pick for New England. It gives Brady a solid receiver who is a mach up nightmare for both corners and linebackers due to his size and speed.
With the 19th pick in the fifth round(119 overall) the Patriots took punter Zoltan Mesko from the university of Michigan. Another holed they needed to fill. The only punter on the team is David king who has never played in the NFL before. Mesko was the Wolverines punter for the last three seasons.
In the sixth, The Pats drafted interior offensive lineman Ted Larsen. Ted played at N.C. State under former Boston College head coach Tom O'Brien. Larsen can play guard and center. His versatility gives him a better chance to catch on with the team. Most likely as a back up. He even played defensive tackle early in his college career.
New England had many seventh round picks. Thomas Welch, a big tackle from Vanderbilt can play on the right or left side will gives competition for the back up spots. Late in the seventh round they had three out of four picks. Brandon Deadrick is a defensive lineman from the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. He has experinece in a 3-4 defense playing for coach Nick Saban. I think he will stick around and get some time next season at end. Nice pick in the so late. After Deadrick the Pats went D-line again. Kade Weston who is a massive nose tackle prospect. Weston got a ton of experience at Georgia in all four years. The next pick was quarterback Zac Robinson from Oklahoma State. I really like this choice. Robinson was a productive passer in a tough Big-12. Zac was in my opinion the best looking quarterback at the Senior bowl this past february. He is a mobile guy but needs to get bigger. Injuries have been a problem for Robinson because of his weight. Something that can be worked on while sitting and learning from one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game in Tom Brady.
I really like the whole body of work in the draft for the Patriots. Many of the players they chose will make the team and have various impacts through out the season. I give them an B+ overall.
I think the Patriots had a solid draft and in the end, patched some holes.
I liked their first selection in round two. They filled a major need by grabbing tight end Rob Gronkowski out of Arizona. Gronkowski is a huge end at 6'5'' 260 pounds with great hands. With the next two picks in the second round, the Pats grabbed two teammates from the Florida gators. Both defensive players who can help immediately. Jermaine Cunningham played defensive end in college. He should fit great at outside linebacker in a pass rushing role. Cunningham is very fast coming off the edge. He is also solid against the run, which can make him a three down linebacker. The third pick in round two was spent on Brandon Spikes an inside linebacker. Spikes is a leader who was the heart of the Gators defense. Spikes isn't a fast player but playing inside in a 3-4 defense he doesn't have to be. I like the thought of him lining up next to Jerod Mayo. He loves to hit and is great against the run and better against the pass than he gets credit for. Great pick, he is passionate about the game of football. I fully expect him to be the leader of the defense for years to come once he gets comfortable in the New England defensive scheme.
The Patriots had one pick in round three. The grabbed Taylor Price from the university of Ohio. Price has great speed and nice size. He needs to work on his hands a bit. Taylor showed he can play against top competition when he had a very nice game against Tennessee this past season. His quarterback held him back a bit. He plays tough and doesn't mind getting hit. He may never be the top dog on the Pats roster but should be a fine number two receiver at some point.
In the fourth round New England took another tight end in Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez has a much different game that Gronkowski. His speed is tremendous for an end who is 6'2'' 250lbs. He has been clocked in the 4.5's and his hands are good. One major plus is the fact he can line on and off the line of scrimmage. Something the Pats will need with Welker out much of next season. This was a very smart pick for New England. It gives Brady a solid receiver who is a mach up nightmare for both corners and linebackers due to his size and speed.
With the 19th pick in the fifth round(119 overall) the Patriots took punter Zoltan Mesko from the university of Michigan. Another holed they needed to fill. The only punter on the team is David king who has never played in the NFL before. Mesko was the Wolverines punter for the last three seasons.
In the sixth, The Pats drafted interior offensive lineman Ted Larsen. Ted played at N.C. State under former Boston College head coach Tom O'Brien. Larsen can play guard and center. His versatility gives him a better chance to catch on with the team. Most likely as a back up. He even played defensive tackle early in his college career.
New England had many seventh round picks. Thomas Welch, a big tackle from Vanderbilt can play on the right or left side will gives competition for the back up spots. Late in the seventh round they had three out of four picks. Brandon Deadrick is a defensive lineman from the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. He has experinece in a 3-4 defense playing for coach Nick Saban. I think he will stick around and get some time next season at end. Nice pick in the so late. After Deadrick the Pats went D-line again. Kade Weston who is a massive nose tackle prospect. Weston got a ton of experience at Georgia in all four years. The next pick was quarterback Zac Robinson from Oklahoma State. I really like this choice. Robinson was a productive passer in a tough Big-12. Zac was in my opinion the best looking quarterback at the Senior bowl this past february. He is a mobile guy but needs to get bigger. Injuries have been a problem for Robinson because of his weight. Something that can be worked on while sitting and learning from one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game in Tom Brady.
I really like the whole body of work in the draft for the Patriots. Many of the players they chose will make the team and have various impacts through out the season. I give them an B+ overall.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Pats swing and miss round 1
The Patriots selected Devin McCourty with the 27th pick in the NFL draft. I'm not really sure why they took him. He went right about where I thought he was going to go late in the first round. But why the Patriots took him is what puzzles me. They re-signed Leigh Bodden and Darius Butler is entering his second season. The Patriots have needs. Defensive end, outside linebacker, wide receiver and even guard. All of these would have been better slots to fill than D-Back. The Patriots were bad against the pass last season. The Major reason, no rush! They could have grabbed Jerry Hughes out of TCU who played in a pro style defense. But they didn't, the Colts did. They could have upgraded the defensive end position. They didn't and Miami a division rival did. They have three picks tonight in the second round. It's important they fill some holes on the defense. Ricky Sapp out of Clemson could be a target. Sapp was an end in College but looks to be an outside linebacker in the Patriots 3-4 defensive alignment. Corey Wooten is a big end prospect at 6'7'' and 270 pounds. Wooten injured his knee in the bowl game against Auburn in January. They need to take advantage of the next four picks. The one pick in the third could be a starter because of the depth of this draft.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Top 5 Defensive backs
1. Eric Berry - The university of Tennessee star has been on every one's radar since his freshman year. Berry is equally as good against the run as he is in pass protection. He is not afraid to come up and stick someone. Berry is an all pro caliber player. Eric Berry will be a game changing type safety for someone. He will go top 10. If Tampa doesn't take him at 3, Joe may land with the chiefs at pick 5 or 6 to Cleveland.
2. Joe Haden - Haden was a star for the Florida Gators national title teams. He shut down many of the top receivers in college. Haden ran a 4.5 40 at his pro day. Haden will be a solid corner in the NFL. I'm not sure if he is on the same level as Revis or Bailey. He will be a valuable asset for someone in need of a good corner. Haden will come off the boards top 15. Cleveland has a lot of interest in Haden.
3. Patrick Robinson - Robinson has shown flashes of brilliance at Florida State. He had some injury problems his senior year. Robinson looked good at the senior bowl. He could end up being the better pro between himself and Haden. He runs well with 4.42 speed. He should go mid to late first round.
4. Kyle Wilson - Wilson was a very good corner in the WAC, which is known as a passing conference. The Boise State stand out has good speed and great foot work. Wilson should go late first to mid second round. Wilson will be a good corner for the team that drafts him.
5. Devin McCourty - McCourty is a fast riser on the draft boards. His 4.3 40 at the combine has him climbing up charts. McCourty is not the biggest guy, he is only weighing in at 185 lbs. He could find himself in the late first round. most likely going in the second.
Other notable D-backs: Jamar Wall from Texas Tech played in a good Big 12. He also had a lot of competition in practice against some great Texas tech passing offense. Wall had a nice showing at the East-West shrine game. 3rd or 4th round prospect. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah is a small school guy. He played at Indiana (PA) a division 2 school. He has great speed and good size. Scouts are very intrigued by him. He looks to be a 3rd round prospect with a lot of raw talent. Larry Asante was a stand out for Nebraska at safety and on special teams. Solid tackler who could find a starting position with the right team.
2. Joe Haden - Haden was a star for the Florida Gators national title teams. He shut down many of the top receivers in college. Haden ran a 4.5 40 at his pro day. Haden will be a solid corner in the NFL. I'm not sure if he is on the same level as Revis or Bailey. He will be a valuable asset for someone in need of a good corner. Haden will come off the boards top 15. Cleveland has a lot of interest in Haden.
3. Patrick Robinson - Robinson has shown flashes of brilliance at Florida State. He had some injury problems his senior year. Robinson looked good at the senior bowl. He could end up being the better pro between himself and Haden. He runs well with 4.42 speed. He should go mid to late first round.
4. Kyle Wilson - Wilson was a very good corner in the WAC, which is known as a passing conference. The Boise State stand out has good speed and great foot work. Wilson should go late first to mid second round. Wilson will be a good corner for the team that drafts him.
5. Devin McCourty - McCourty is a fast riser on the draft boards. His 4.3 40 at the combine has him climbing up charts. McCourty is not the biggest guy, he is only weighing in at 185 lbs. He could find himself in the late first round. most likely going in the second.
Other notable D-backs: Jamar Wall from Texas Tech played in a good Big 12. He also had a lot of competition in practice against some great Texas tech passing offense. Wall had a nice showing at the East-West shrine game. 3rd or 4th round prospect. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah is a small school guy. He played at Indiana (PA) a division 2 school. He has great speed and good size. Scouts are very intrigued by him. He looks to be a 3rd round prospect with a lot of raw talent. Larry Asante was a stand out for Nebraska at safety and on special teams. Solid tackler who could find a starting position with the right team.
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