I’ve been focused on the Patriots’ drafts since 2006 and I think I have a pretty good idea of the kind of guys they like.
Really, BB hasn’t missed one a first-round pick. You might throw Maroney or Meriweather as misses, but neither were complete busts. Maroney essentially sealed the 2007 AFCCG and the back end of the defense (outside of maybe the 09 Saints game) was okay with Meriweather back there from ‘08-’10. Regardless, every other first rounder has been elite.
I think “raw” is over-generalized. These are college kids, they are all raw to an extent. The big traits I look for when putting together my big board are football smarts, toughness, versatility and leadership.
This is not always perfect, in the right round they’ll take a guy if they like the value given his talent. These are football players. Alpha males with tempers who like to run into walls 16-plus times a year. They’re not all going to be choir boys. And if someone got busted smoking pot a time or two, it’s not a deal-breaker.
Here’s the thing… not even the NFL teams know exactly what they’re doing in the draft. The ONLY way to mitigate the risk is to take as many guys as you can, especially in the 2nd/3rd round.
I know everyone wants to take the “name” players in the first round, and sometimes, like 2012, there’s a place for that. But generally the safest way to attack it is to go into the draft with NO needs. You might not love a free agent that you filled a hole with, but you never want to be in the position of having to come out of the draft with a starter at a position. This also forces all rookies to compete.
That way they can draft who they like at whatever position. Between injuries, busts and mis-scouting you never know who will flame out, so all you can do is gather as many players as you can that you like, including via rookie free agency where the Pats have had a lot of success, and throw them into the competition of training camp and see who emerges.
