Comments on: Strange but true: Rookies make big plays for Pats D

By: Tina

Tina — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:40:12 +0000

sorry, moved from 7 to 10 on mayo. Also got Ridley by trading back.

By: Tina

Tina — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:23:38 +0000

So, I decided to have a little fun with the whole “should have drafted studs like this sooner” idea. So I went back and looked at the drafts from 2008-2011. I started with pick 20 in the first round of each draft, which seems a fair spot to assume the Pats could realistically trade up to to draft a defensive stud. Here are the LB’s and DL’s (I included DT and DE) taken from picks 20-32 over the past 3 years:

DL: Peria Jerry, Evander Hood, Dan Williams, Jared Odrick, Jerry Hughes, Adrian Clayborn, Cameron Jordan, Muhammad Wilkerson, Cameron Heyward, Lawrence Jackson, Kentwan Balmer

LB: Clay Matthews

If I missed any let me know.

Now, honestly. How many of these guys are game-changers? Matthews, for at least one year anyway. Wilkerson, maybe someday down the line?

Guys the Pats ended up drafting because of the all that early round moving back? Hernandez, Gronkowski, Edelman, Spikes, Mayo (yes, Mayo, they moved back from 7 to 9 for him), Cannon, etc.

So, let’s be clear, even going earlier than 20, WAY more DE’s and LB’s fail than they do succeed. The Pats obviously had an idea in mind, and didn’t overdraft average players because of some perceived need.

By: CKL

CKL — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:25:33 +0000

edavidberg,
A lot of us Pats fans have gotten as frustrated as anyone that they haven’t drafted true stud defenders (especially DL guys and LBs, minus Mayo who is more of a steady player than a playmaker)in the first round in ages, but I’d bet a lot of money that BB just felt none of them were worth the spot AND the up front money until this year. Whether these guys are true studs or not remains to be seen. But they have made an impact already that guys like Meriwether NEVER made.

By: jolink653

jolink653 — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:04:49 +0000

Encouraging signs so far but let’s wait before we start talking about how great these guys are…If they can do it consistently then we have something to be excited about, especially with how the secondary looked and the pass rush getting to the QB more…With a good defense the sky is the limit for this team

By: bweavs

bweavs — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:39:56 +0000

You never know what you have until at least week four and sometimes not until week 7 or 8. Lets not start placing our Pats anywhere just yet. We haven’t done squat. Nice to get the win though, and get out mostly injury free. Look for the 2-0 match up against Baltimore as our first real test! Go Pats!!!!

By: edavidberg

edavidberg — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:29:43 +0000

Belichick may turn out to be a year or two late using all those draft picks. He wasted a couple years of Brady’s prime.

I’m not saying the man isn’t the best coach/player evaluator in the game. He is. But he should have done this a couple years ago.

By: CKL

CKL — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:24:02 +0000

To add to this, most of the Pats biggest plays were made by either rookies, second year guys (Ridley) or guys who are in their first year with the team (Lloyd). VERY encouraging.

By: rockthered1286

rockthered1286 — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:21:00 +0000

Don’t disgree- they looked much better than last year. HOWEVER, enough with these early predictions of top 5 defense. It we are basing an entire season on one game, then lets call the Skins the #2 defense and Jets the #1 offense.

CJ is not what he used to be, and had limited carries in a poor offense game plan for the Titans. Locker was also playing in his first career start. And of course, Britt was out.

In no way can you tell me after 1 game against a mediocre offense that the Pats will have a better D than the Jets, 49ers, Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Texans, Eagles, and Giants (fluke week with Dallas, they’ll be back to form next week). I’ll say they project to top half of the league right now, but nothing higher until they prove it more than once.

By: theandy59

theandy59 — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:36:31 +0000

I understand that it’s really early, but the encouraging thing is that great players usually don’t need a lot of time to be great – you see it right away. Jones looks like he has a chance to be not just good, but game changing great. It’s not just his ability to pressure the QB, watch how strongly he sets the edge on running plays.

By: ampats

ampats — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:32:24 +0000

This is not last years D, this defense is fast and young. And as great as the top three draft choices played,Big Vince was an absolute BEAST yesterday and had a great game.

Its only week#1 but the Offense looked strong and will be more balanced this year as the Patriots have not had a ball carrier who can break runs like Ridley since Corey Dillon.

The Patriots will be a top 5 Rush Defense ( 4 yards CJ2K)and as usual being ahead in the 4th quarter,teams willl get garbage passing yardage playing catch up.

By: billinva

billinva — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:23:13 +0000

If the Pats D can go from 31 to even just 20, they should be contender this season.

By: rc33

rc33 — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:53:28 +0000

Belichick and the Patriots finally had the draft the fans had waited for. They seemingly always have extra picks but this time around they chose to use the extra picks and trade up. Jones and Hightower would not have been there if they’d stayed put at #27 and #31.
The folks that predicted Chandler Jones would likely not have an impact until 2013 were way, way wrong, that much is for certain.

By: bosfaninva

bosfaninva — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:40:38 +0000

Just having an average D makes the Pats Super Bowl favorites.

By: tombradysbaby

tombradysbaby — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:36:29 +0000

Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower and Tavon Wilson eerily remind me of Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison. I had flashbacks watching these three play.

When BB coaches these guys to their full potential, and combine that with his schemes this defense will be top 5 this year.