I’ve had my head in the clouds from the moment the Pats announced their pick of Dominique Easley last night. I really should have known there’d be plenty of people who hated the pick – in fact I had made the joke when discussing him in early April that “an injury-prone, undersized defensive tackle” would not go over well.
I’m not here to talk anyone off the ledge. If you believe the only players worth drafting are those with clean injury histories, that’s your choice. But if you hate the pick I certainly hope you’re not in the “Patriots need pass rush” crowd. I also hope you’re not in the “Patriots need to trade up” crowd either.
Here’s the problem, it’s hard to find really elite (as much as I hate that term) talent when you’re consistently drafting near the bottom of the first round like the Pats do. Your only options are to hit on someone who comes out of nowhere like Richard Sherman or pay big bucks for a free agent. Neither are consistently reliable options.
There’s also the third option. The potential star who fought injuries in college. Guys like Gronk, Ras-I Dowling and now Easley. Ras-I was a bust. Gronk is the best tight end in the game, but injuries have derailed him since January 2012. How will Easley turn out? No one knows.
As much as I think “injury prone” is thrown around far too loosely, there’s no denying that wear and tear and surgeries add up. But it’s also true that surgery and rehab are far different today than the days when an ACL tear meant you were completely out of commission for the next calendar year.
The Pats need impact front seven players. That’s an absolute fact. Their pass defense has STUNK in three out of the last four years and last year it was just below average. What’s stopping them from another Super Bowl? Pass defense. They can’t get off the field on third down.
So now with Easley there is some risk, but there is risk with every pick. Whether or not Easley pans out will not make or break the Pats. But if he does pan out, he could absolutely be the player that puts them over the top to win a Super Bowl.
It’s a swing for the fences selection and I’m all for swings for the fences moves by a team that has usually taken the fairly safe road, especially in the first round. They didn’t have to cash in a ton of draft picks to move up, they only have to hope Easley can overcome an injury he’s already overcome once and that plenty of NFL players have overcome and gone on to stellar seasons after.
Watch Easley on YouTube, even if you’ve never “watched film” in your life. His quickness smacks you in the face. Not saying he will be a Hall of Famer, but he has that kind of jump.
Not to mention the Seahawks, you know, the defense that everyone has been fawning over for the last two years, were ready to take Easley at 32nd overall. Isn’t that some kind of sign that the Pats weren’t “reaching” on him?
The Pats have made plenty of safe picks over the years and they’ve taken their share of chances as well. But not a single player in the last decade has had the kind of upside Easley has.
So is it worth it? For a guy who could potentially be one of the best players to come out of this draft? A very real top-5 talent? I say yes. Yes. YES.