After months of buildup, the 2018 NFL draft is now in the rearview mirror and Patriots fans can begin to focus on mini-camps, the June-July void and finally, training camp. The major pieces that will comprise the 2018 Patriots are in place, and while the draft was a trade-down-fest with plenty of fodder for sports talk shows, the team once again got a bunch of really good football players who will improve a team that came within one stop of their third Super Bowl title in four years for the second time.
When you think back to a decade ago, things were very different. The Patriots veteran defense was hanging on by a string in 2008, and when Tom Brady went down in the opening quarter of the season, the rebuild was jumpstarted. They missed the playoffs that season on a tie-break and would be upset at home in their first playoff games in both 2009 and 2010, before scrapping their way back into a Super Bowl in 2011. They haven’t missed a conference championship game since.
But now the Patriots have seen little-to-no dropoff on the offensive side of the ball. Brady has maintained his level of excellence even though the pieces around him continue to shift. Last year’s MVP performance was a crowning achievement even in the final game’s defeat. Yes, Brady has lost three Super Bowls, but 52 was just an epic performance by him.
The Patriots’ window is still very much open with Brady, but time is running out. How will these draft picks assimilate and help? Let’s take a big picture view.
If there’s one tie that binds all Patriots draft picks it’s that they’re almost always football nerds, and this class is no exception. It features multiple captains and a lot of positional versatility. Those are hallmarks of the team and helps maintain a culture of “football first” that is surprisingly rare in the NFL.
The pick of Isaiah Wynn is an exciting one because despite some height limitations he’s a special player that’s universally acknowledged. You have to love that Belichick picks football guys first and foremost even if they don’t fit the exact mold. Even in the worst-case scenario, where Wynn can’t hack it at left tackle, he’ll find a way to contribute.
The Sony Michel pick could be one that takes the offense to a new level. We all loved Dion Lewis, the human joystick, but as I’ve pondered his fit and why the Pats let him walk I realized they saw Lewis as an early-down back and their true preference for early-down backs are players like Michel — one-cut, explosive backs who don’t lose yardage. In that regard, Michel might be the best they’ve had in a long time, at least since Stevan Ridley showed so much promise early in his career. Michel’s hard-running could really take some heat off of Brady and also make things easier for James White on passing downs.
How it all shakes out with Michel, Rex Burkhead, Mike Gillislee and Jeremy Hill will be interesting to watch. One of those vets is almost assuredly a cut barring injuries, but all will attack camp like madmen.
The drafting of the two linebackers was so critical to me. While neither Ja’whaun Bentley (I’ve almost got that first name memorized) and Christian Sam are the next Luke Kuechly, both just fit that Patriot mold — really tough and productive despite the lack of some measurables. Both will push Elandon Roberts and if one of them (likely Sam) shows enough mobility they could really help the defense. And if injuries hit the linebackers like they did last year, both could be playing significant roles.
Duke Dawson is the perfect fit for the Pats defense. Versatile, aggressive, able to play man defense… he’ll step right in and play a role, likely in the slot, where the Pats lack inside corners and on special teams. The Pats ALWAYS draft cornerbacks earlier than need might dictate and Dawson will benefit being under the radar a bit with reduced expectations considering there are three proven veterans ahead of him.
Braxton Berrios saved my big board. Yes, he’s a clear Patriots fit and he joins a jam-packed wide receiver depth chart. But Berrios does have some advantages — he’ll be under contract for four years and he’s a quick slot guy who traditionally do very well in this offense. It’s strange to see a depth chart littered with high-round x-receivers. Who knows which will emerge, but Berrios, with his punt return ability, might find himself only competing against Riley McCarron for a roster spot. But make no mistake, Berrios will have to earn a spot and every rep will be huge.
Everyone thought the Pats would take a quarterback, but instead of trading up for Lamar Jackson, the Pats instead waited until the first pick of the 7th round, taking Danny Etling of LSU. Etling again fits the traditional mold of a pocket passer with a good release and limited mistakes. The good news is there’s no pressure on Etling like there would’ve been on a high-round pick. He won’t be dubbed Brady’s heir. He won’t be expected to be as good as Garoppolo was. He can just try to assimilate and if he performs in August he could find himself sneaking onto the roster. With a year learning from Brady and Brian Hoyer, who knows what heights Etling can rise to.
The last two picks are more classic Pats. Keion Crossen ran a 4.3 40 and jumped almost 40 inches but wasn’t invited to the combine. Tight end Ryan Izzo is a classic Y-TE who might not be much of a receiver but will step in and block his ass off. And the Pats still aren’t done adding players as the undrafted free agents continue to pour in. Every year at least one of those guys makes the roster and this year should be no exception.
As always, the Pats are mostly stacked and will continue to fill their 90-man roster with the kind of football-first players that they always love. Are there some depth concerns at linebacker and questions about the depth and quality of their pass rushers? Sure. Those are critical areas and ones that weren’t good enough in 2017 for a myriad of reasons. But every Pats’ team has questions. Every NFL team has questions. What Belichick has established is the best-run organization and coaching staff in football, and that means that those questions and concerns could very well be solved as players elevate their games, often unexpectedly.
With just three months to go it’s time to start getting excited about this 2018 Patriots team because, despite some questions, there’s no mistake that they are stacked and ready to compete for their sixth Super Bowl title.
Every year only shows how little I know how this team drafts. Hope you do a “winners and losers” of this draft. Roberts has got to feel happy they didn’t spend a high pick to replace him. Hogan has to feel the best he’s felt in years with Cooks leaving and the Pats not drafting anyone to challenge him. White and Burkhead have to be still feeling pretty good despite the Pats spending a first round pick on a potental dual threat RB since they just signed multi year contracts for qutie a bit of money (Burkhead has most of it guaranteed I think).
I’m not sure any Patriot player should be feeling like a winner after this draft because it’s pretty much a reset level playing field every summer and jobs have to be earned from scratch. Competition is so vital and I think there are far more positions up for grabs than it might appear on initial glance.