Grade the Pats Draft: How Did BB/Nike Do?

How would you rate this draft?

  • A+

    Votes: 16 5.8%
  • A

    Votes: 74 26.9%
  • A-

    Votes: 72 26.2%
  • B+

    Votes: 74 26.9%
  • B

    Votes: 27 9.8%
  • B-

    Votes: 5 1.8%
  • C+

    Votes: 4 1.5%
  • C

    Votes: 2 0.7%
  • C-

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • D or F

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    275

brendan f

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Jan 13, 2019
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Yes, draft grades are dumb, but it's pretty clear they wanted Jones all along ( where did they have him "graded"--who knows but above where they picked him and likely above Fields since they felt no need to trade up). I don't think it can be overstated how important this pick is to the Pats franchise. And there is every reason to think he will succeed in this system given he is a master of the 8-12 yard pass, which is what the Pats passing game has been built around. If you believe in Jones in this system, as I do, then the draft is off to a great start.
Then to grab Barmore in round 2 is just...incredible. He was easily the best player at his position and it's clear BB was surprised they had a chance to move up and get him. Again, I don't think it can be overstated what it means to get a clear 1st round pick in the 2nd round. It's remarkable.
And to add to this, they get one of the best edge rushers in the draft in the 3rd round. These three picks alone based on value has to put them in the "A" range.
The pick that puts the draft over the top for me is the McGrone pick in the 5th. This is a guy who could be a starter down the road. Great upside.
As for the rest of the draft? The RB they drafted clearly stands out. I think his actual skill level is a semi-question mark but he's a bruiser who has a chance to punish his defenders. The Pat have shown exceptional ability to pluck OL talent in the later rounds so you have to trust in their evaluations here.
And finally, they picked a WR last. That's a good thing in my book. As Lazar pointed out, maybe the franchise has decided to punt on this position since they've shown almost zero ability to find talent in the early rounds, at least relative to expectation.

I'm giving it an "A". Of course, it all hinges on Jones becoming the next franchise quarterback.
 

Traut

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They got the guy that they wanted - Jones - at the position they needed - without giving up anything to do so. Belichick played his hand well here. If Jones is even league average it's a tremendous advantage to have him on a rookie deal at pick 15 which is considerably less than they would have had to pay at pick 3.

  • Pick No. 1 - Total contract value: $36.8M, signing bonus: $24.2M
  • Pick No. 2 - Total contract value: $35.2M, signing bonus: $22.9M
  • Pick No. 3 - Total contract value: $34.1M, signing bonus: $22.2M
  • Pick No. 4 - Total contract value: $32.9M, signing bonus: $21.3M
  • Pick No. 5 - Total contract value: $30.9M, signing bonus: $19.8M
  • Pick No. 6 - Total contract value: $27.1M, signing bonus: $17.1M
  • Pick No. 7 - Total contract value: $24.1M, signing bonus: $14.9M
  • Pick No. 8 - Total contract value: $21.1M, signing bonus: $12.7M
  • Pick No. 9 - Total contract value: $20.9M, signing bonus: $12.6M
  • Pick No. 10 - Total contract value: $20.2M, signing bonus: $12M
  • Pick No. 11 - Total contract value: $18.9M, signing bonus: $11.1M
  • Pick No. 12 - Total contract value: $17.1M, signing bonus: $9.8M
  • Pick No. 13 - Total contract value: $16.6M, signing bonus: $9.5M
  • Pick No. 14 - Total contract value: $15.9M, signing bonus: $8.9M
  • Pick No. 15 - Total contract value: $15.6M, signing bonus: $8.7M LINK
If he doesn't work out he's just a first round pick that didn't pan out. Which is completely survivable. I also happen to be sold that he is quite good.

So I'm going A here for this reason alone.
 

rodderick

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Apr 24, 2009
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They got the guy that they wanted - Jones - at the position they needed - without giving up anything to do so. Belichick played his hand well here. If Jones is even league average it's a tremendous advantage to have him on a rookie deal at pick 15 which is considerably less than they would have had to pay at pick 3.

  • Pick No. 1 - Total contract value: $36.8M, signing bonus: $24.2M
  • Pick No. 2 - Total contract value: $35.2M, signing bonus: $22.9M
  • Pick No. 3 - Total contract value: $34.1M, signing bonus: $22.2M
  • Pick No. 4 - Total contract value: $32.9M, signing bonus: $21.3M
  • Pick No. 5 - Total contract value: $30.9M, signing bonus: $19.8M
  • Pick No. 6 - Total contract value: $27.1M, signing bonus: $17.1M
  • Pick No. 7 - Total contract value: $24.1M, signing bonus: $14.9M
  • Pick No. 8 - Total contract value: $21.1M, signing bonus: $12.7M
  • Pick No. 9 - Total contract value: $20.9M, signing bonus: $12.6M
  • Pick No. 10 - Total contract value: $20.2M, signing bonus: $12M
  • Pick No. 11 - Total contract value: $18.9M, signing bonus: $11.1M
  • Pick No. 12 - Total contract value: $17.1M, signing bonus: $9.8M
  • Pick No. 13 - Total contract value: $16.6M, signing bonus: $9.5M
  • Pick No. 14 - Total contract value: $15.9M, signing bonus: $8.9M
  • Pick No. 15 - Total contract value: $15.6M, signing bonus: $8.7M LINK
If he doesn't work out he's just a first round pick that didn't pan out. Which is completely survivable. I also happen to be sold that he is quite good.

So I'm going A here for this reason alone.
How can we possibly know that? Obviously they wanted Jones - they picked him - but he was also the fifth QB taken, what's to say they didn't have him ranked behind all the guys that went before him?
 

Traut

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How can we possibly know that? Obviously they wanted Jones - they picked him - but he was also the fifth QB taken, what's to say they didn't have him ranked behind all the guys that went before him?
Lawrence and Wilson were never available. So you had: Lance, Fields, and Jones. If the Patriots really wanted to trade up to 3 before the 49ers did just that - it’s likely they could have.

They certainly could have also moved up to get Fields even on Thursday night.

When you look at how Belichick has built this team it’s not surprising that he’d want Jones.

And if they didn’t want Jones they could have traded down. They made that pick with zero hesitation .
 
Last edited:

rodderick

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Lawrence and Wilson were never available. So you had: Lance, Fields, and Jones. If the Patriots really wanted to trade up to 3 before the 49ers did just that - it’s likely they could have.

They certainly could have also moved up to get Fields even on Thursday night.

When you look at how Belichick has built this team it’s not surprising that he’d want Jones.

And if they didn’t want Jones they could have traded down. They made that pick with zero hesitation .
Maybe they just think Jones at 15 is better than Fields/Lance + whatever it'd take to trade up for them, but they like the latter players more than Mac. Which would be fine, but wouldn't necessarily translate into "they got the guy they wanted".' I'm not saying they didn't like Mac Jones.
 

54thMA

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They got McGrone in the 5th round and Nixon in the 7th, both of whom had injuries last year, McGrone got hurt in November, cutting his season short and probably making 2021 a red shirt NFL season for him, Nixon broke his collar bone early in the season and missed most of his teams games..

I'll defer to the draft experts on this forum; does anyone think either/both would have gone earlier had they not been injured?
 

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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They got McGrone in the 5th round and Nixon in the 7th, both of whom had injuries last year, McGrone got hurt in November, cutting his season short and probably making 2021 a red shirt NFL season for him, Nixon broke his collar bone early in the season and missed most of his teams games..

I'll defer to the draft experts on this forum; does anyone think either/both would have gone earlier had they not been injured?
I’m not a draft expert either but I think you can comfortably state that McGrone’s injury played a factor into him slipping. He is certainly a better talent than a 5th rounder but is young and the injury cost him valuable experience and game action.

He’s also just turning 21 in a few weeks so he’s on the young side. Perfect late round pick for a team like the Pats with a roster crunch. Now, he can rehab, getting acclimated, learn from High and others and hopefully be ready to compete for a role in 2022.

This guy has Day 2 talent so he’s a real find in the 5th round.
 

Granite Sox

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I gave them a B. I love the Jones, Barmore, and McGrone picks, but I think the Pats could have done better in the 3rd and 4th rounds in terms of addressing need.

I recognize that every prospect has pros/cons as well as evaluators that are really high or really low on them. But some of the consistent feedback on Perkins is that while he's got a great motor, plays mean, and tackles well, he is fairly stiff for the position and not as athletic as other Edge prospects. Phil Perry indicated that it is very hard for average athleticism to be productive in the NFL on the edge, so I'm not sure what the upside is to Perkins relative to what the Pats already have. I have nothing against Perkins or Stephenson, but I think the Pats would have been better served with a WR and a CB in those rounds. "But the Pats board lined up that way..." yada yada yada... seemed like there were still some good WRs and CBs to be had at that point in the draft.

Overall, I'm happier than usual with this Pats draft.

P.S. Those looking to find fault with the Pats are railing about the fact that Belichick took more of his bestie Saban's boys and ANOTHER Michigan front 7 player for the third year in a row. I think that's a lazy take. It IS, however, interesting that all of the picks came from Power 5 schools (3 SEC, 3 Big XII, 1 B1G) except for Nixon. I'm surmising that with the smaller inventory of draftable players this year, plus the fact that the SEC and the Big XII teams played the majority of their initial schedules in the Covid19 era, that the Pats put a premium on level of competition within their draft grades for this particular season. Maybe it's just coincidence, but Belichick has spoken about this variable before.
 

PBDWake

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May 1, 2008
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They got the guy that they wanted - Jones - at the position they needed - without giving up anything to do so. Belichick played his hand well here. If Jones is even league average it's a tremendous advantage to have him on a rookie deal at pick 15 which is considerably less than they would have had to pay at pick 3.

  • Pick No. 1 - Total contract value: $36.8M, signing bonus: $24.2M
  • Pick No. 2 - Total contract value: $35.2M, signing bonus: $22.9M
  • Pick No. 3 - Total contract value: $34.1M, signing bonus: $22.2M
  • Pick No. 4 - Total contract value: $32.9M, signing bonus: $21.3M
  • Pick No. 5 - Total contract value: $30.9M, signing bonus: $19.8M
  • Pick No. 6 - Total contract value: $27.1M, signing bonus: $17.1M
  • Pick No. 7 - Total contract value: $24.1M, signing bonus: $14.9M
  • Pick No. 8 - Total contract value: $21.1M, signing bonus: $12.7M
  • Pick No. 9 - Total contract value: $20.9M, signing bonus: $12.6M
  • Pick No. 10 - Total contract value: $20.2M, signing bonus: $12M
  • Pick No. 11 - Total contract value: $18.9M, signing bonus: $11.1M
  • Pick No. 12 - Total contract value: $17.1M, signing bonus: $9.8M
  • Pick No. 13 - Total contract value: $16.6M, signing bonus: $9.5M
  • Pick No. 14 - Total contract value: $15.9M, signing bonus: $8.9M
  • Pick No. 15 - Total contract value: $15.6M, signing bonus: $8.7M LINK
If he doesn't work out he's just a first round pick that didn't pan out. Which is completely survivable. I also happen to be sold that he is quite good.

So I'm going A here for this reason alone.
This is where I'm at, actually. If he's a guy who can put out numbers close to Jimmy G numbers, this is a massive 5 year game changer. I think a lot of people got used to a lot of things in the Brady era, but one of the things that was understated was not having a cap killer in the QB slot. A viable starter on a rookie deal lets you keep Gilmore and Jackson if you want to. The QB salaries are so disproportionate that cost control is an absolutely huge advantage during the window you can manage it.

Also, on the subject of weed, while I don't smoke, I've really gotten into edibles this past calendar year for a variety of reasons. The most prominent reason is that I work a job that can be intense and stressful at times, and the ability to come home, grab a gummy or two, and decompress is great for my mental health. For people who have a tough time turning off, it's a great way to avoid burnout.
 

pedroia'sboys

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Aug 26, 2007
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Nick Saban BB Sean Peyton all loved Mac I have no doubt he will be a good enough QB where In a couple years will be happy with the pick.

The draft grade to me starts and ends with Barmore he has legitimate potential to be a absolute monster.

The only pick I hated was Perkins, I wish they traded up for a WR.
 

mauf

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They got the guy that they wanted - Jones - at the position they needed - without giving up anything to do so. Belichick played his hand well here. If Jones is even league average it's a tremendous advantage to have him on a rookie deal at pick 15 which is considerably less than they would have had to pay at pick 3.

  • Pick No. 1 - Total contract value: $36.8M, signing bonus: $24.2M
  • Pick No. 2 - Total contract value: $35.2M, signing bonus: $22.9M
  • Pick No. 3 - Total contract value: $34.1M, signing bonus: $22.2M
  • Pick No. 4 - Total contract value: $32.9M, signing bonus: $21.3M
  • Pick No. 5 - Total contract value: $30.9M, signing bonus: $19.8M
  • Pick No. 6 - Total contract value: $27.1M, signing bonus: $17.1M
  • Pick No. 7 - Total contract value: $24.1M, signing bonus: $14.9M
  • Pick No. 8 - Total contract value: $21.1M, signing bonus: $12.7M
  • Pick No. 9 - Total contract value: $20.9M, signing bonus: $12.6M
  • Pick No. 10 - Total contract value: $20.2M, signing bonus: $12M
  • Pick No. 11 - Total contract value: $18.9M, signing bonus: $11.1M
  • Pick No. 12 - Total contract value: $17.1M, signing bonus: $9.8M
  • Pick No. 13 - Total contract value: $16.6M, signing bonus: $9.5M
  • Pick No. 14 - Total contract value: $15.9M, signing bonus: $8.9M
  • Pick No. 15 - Total contract value: $15.6M, signing bonus: $8.7M LINK
If he doesn't work out he's just a first round pick that didn't pan out. Which is completely survivable. I also happen to be sold that he is quite good.

So I'm going A here for this reason alone.
Same grade for basically the same reason, except I liked the Barmore pick too. Would be lying if I said I had any opinion at all of the other picks.
 

SMU_Sox

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Thank you for saying this. That’s my grade too. Ask me in 2-3 years.

If I had to give a grade today though? Easy A/A-. What I like in a draft is taking guys who have elite traits. Not all elite traits are physical. Mac Jones, Barmore, Stevenson, McGrone, from the little tape I saw of Sherman all have some elite traits. Mac's traits are mental.

Barmore's off-field stuff still concerns me. Mac Jones arm talent in the NE weather bothers me. Taking Sherman over some of the other OTs available was surprising to me but we're talking a deep day 3 pick. But Mac Jones has elite mental traits. Barmore has elite physical traits that no one in this IDL group could come near.

I am surprised they didn't invest more in OT and CB but they still can fill out those positions next year, JJW could in theory develop, and maybe they like Wynn, Onwenu, and Herron.

IDL, ILB, QB, RB, and IOL were positions of need for next year so it's not like they didn't draft for need!

The one pick I didn't like was Perkins. I thought they could have gone CB or OT there. But if you look at the consensus board Perkins was a huge value and if they can find a way to put him in the best place where his game will translate he could be a nice rotational player for them.

McGrone could be a starting will next year.

Some of the most motivated people I know are daily smokers. The lazy stoner stereotype is bullshit.
Thank you for saying this. I would happen to agree with you. You can smoke daily and still be a super-high producer ;). Also... maybe this is just because I follow this stuff pretty closely but a TON of prospects smoke. A lot of guys juice too. It's alarming when they get caught but that's just the reality right now.
 

ehaz

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Sep 30, 2007
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The only real WTF pick for me was Bledsoe. I feel like undersized slot corner/safety guys was one position where you were set on and from what I can tell, he was not very good as Missouri. Would've preferred Stone Forsyth or another WR dart throw.

But it's the 6th round so it's hard to say it's a 'mistake' because it's unlikely anyone will do anything so you may as well pick your guy.
 

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
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Players from teams East of Detroit vs. those West of Detroit (or above/below the Mason Dixon line, if that gives you roughly 16 teams on each - might need to include SF in the south field to make it work)
So Lions just stay home? Sounds about right.
 

BaseballJones

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https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2021-nfl-draft-ranking-every-teams-draft-class-patriots-crush-it-followed-by-cards-broncos-lions/

Puts NE's draft class #1.

1. New England Patriots
R1.15. Mac Jones, QB, Alabama (1.11)
R2.06. Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama (1.29)
R3.32. Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma (1.32)
R4.15. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma (3.30)
R5.33. Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan (4.15)
R6.04. Joshua Bledsoe, S, Missouri (5.25)
R6.13. William Sherman, OT, Colorado (7.15)
R7.14. Tre Nixon, WR, UCF (PFA)

Favorite pick: Alabama's Christian Barmore continues the Tuscaloosa-to-Foxborough pipeline, and is the first defensive lineman off the board. We had him as a late first-rounder.

Best value: Oklahoma's Ronnie Perkins has first-round talent (we gave him a late first-round grade) but needs to refine his pass-rush moves and play with more consistency, something that will certainly be impressed upon him with the Patriots. Still, to get a high-upside pass rusher two full rounds later than we expected is one of the reasons the Patriots are atop our 2021 rankings.

Most surprising pick: Alabama QB Mac Jones. We're joking. Other than San Francisco there was no better landing spot for Jones who told former GM Scott Pioli back in the fall that he didn't care where he was drafted he just wanted to play for the Pats. We had Jones as our No. 11 player on our Big Board.
 

pappymojo

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Regarding marijuana usage (which may be worthy of a breakout discussion), Geno Hayes recently passed away due to liver disease that he believed was in part exasperated by his use of over the counter pain medications during his NFL career. He was a 33 years old father of two.
 

Jimbodandy

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Regarding marijuana usage (which may be worthy of a breakout discussion), Geno Hayes recently passed away due to liver disease that he believed was in part exasperated by his use of over the counter pain medications during his NFL career. He was a 33 years old father of two.
Could be. Lots of things destroy your liver, and OTC pain meds definitely can.

Not everyone is a weed guy or advocate, which is fine. And there are numerous things that are worse and higher risk to pro athletes, like opioids.

But overall, we middle aged folks need to recalibrate what pot smoking tells us about guys in their 20s. It tells us nothing. Our friends in high school drank beers on the weekends. Some of them run Fortune 500 companies now. Some went on to D1 and even pro sports. Those kids mostly smoke pot now.
 
Sep 1, 2019
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in part exasperated by his use of over the counter pain medications during his NFL career.
Paracetamol is really the troublesome NSAID, in terms of hepatic damage particularly if used in combination with alcohol. For that reason I've never understood why it is so widely used in hospitals.

Cannabinoids are an agonist for endo-cannabinoid receptors in the brain (kind of similar to opiates in that regard), and who knows what the long-term effect are on the brain from extended weed use. Most older potheads I have known seem a bit fuzzy at times, but I suppose that is better than blowing your liver out with booze.
 

pappymojo

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Could be. Lots of things destroy your liver, and OTC pain meds definitely can.

Not everyone is a weed guy or advocate, which is fine. And there are numerous things that are worse and higher risk to pro athletes, like opioids.

But overall, we middle aged folks need to recalibrate what pot smoking tells us about guys in their 20s. It tells us nothing. Our friends in high school drank beers on the weekends. Some of them run Fortune 500 companies now. Some went on to D1 and even pro sports. Those kids mostly smoke pot now.
For sure, I was advocating that college and professional football players should really be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to marijuana use - above and beyond other 20 year olds. They are putting their bodies on the line for our entertainment. I don't think it's appropriate for a league to penalize players for consuming marijuana.
 

Devizier

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Paracetamol is not an NSAID.
It’s not called one, but it does block COX-2 among other things, so it has NSAID properties. But it does other things too.

In any event, whatever you call it, you don’t want to be taking it in perpetuity. No idea if that applies to Hayes. Either way, this has very little to do with marijuana which is probably taken recreationally in most cases involving young athletes.
 

DGreenwood

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Paracetamol is not an NSAID.
You're right, that wasn't very good of me. Thanks for the correction. It is not a steroid, but it also does not have anti-inflammatory properties like the true NSAIDs--although it is easy to casually put it in the same group. Mea culpa.
It’s not called one, but it does block COX-2 among other things, so it has NSAID properties. But it does other things too.

In any event, whatever you call it, you don’t want to be taking it in perpetuity. No idea if that applies to Hayes. Either way, this has very little to do with marijuana which is probably taken recreationally in most cases involving young athletes.
The distinction between NSAIDs and analgesics is not important in the context of this thread so it was probably wrong of me to even mention it. For people like me who have an anaphylactic reaction to NSAIDs it's hugely important to understand the difference but if I had thought it through at all I'd have recognized that clarifying this point didn't add value to the conversation. Sorry for the pedantic comment.