Before you get upset with the Patriots for drafting players who you have never heard of before, understand that every year there are players who Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. (great analysts) rave about before the season, but end up being busts.

Basically, just because a guy is not talked about as a prime NFL prospect does not mean that he won’t eventually become one.

Here’s a breakdown of the first four rounds of the Pats’ 2010 draft.

Devin McCourty, CB

First of all, do not be turned off by the Patriots drafting Devin McCourty. Initially, I was disappointed with the pick as well, but looking into it, McCourty may be a solid player for the Pats.

Firstly, he is a demon special teams player, as he had seven blocked kicks at Rutgers. Also, he is a kid with lots of speed, running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash.

He is a good press corner, and just as importantly, a sound tackler, something the Pats have been missing on the outside for quite some time.

He does not have great ball skills, and he won’t lead the league in interceptions, but he is more of a two-year prospect who will immediately contribute on special teams.

I thought Sergio Kindle would be a good pick here, or even at a later pick for New England (he was available well into the second round). He is an injury threat with a banged up knee, and the last thing the Pats need is an injury-prone player on defense.

Grade: B- He will be a good player for New England, but he could have been picked up closer to the second round, or even in the second round.

Rob Gronkowski, TE

This TE could have been a first-round selection, had it not been for a back injury that set him back during his senior season. However, he is one of the best TEs, if not the best, at getting open in the middle of the field.

He’s a good blocker, has soft hands, and is much more consistent than Ben Watson.

He’s also borderline 6’7″, 265 lbs, and he runs a 4.64-40, so he’ll be a matchup threat against some smaller defenses (like Indy).

Grade: A- Patriots drafted for a need here, and Gronkowski is great at getting open, providing Brady with an extra option in the middle of the field. Hopefully he’ll stay healthy.

Jermaine Cunningham, OLB

Cunningham is the perfect player for the Patriots, especially late into the second round, because as a Gator he was a consistent pass rusher. Not overpowering or extremely fast, he finds ways to get into the backfield with consistency using quickness and technique.

This is just the type of player Bill Belichick likes, a coachable kid who plays with technique and consistency.

Grade: B+ It would have been nice to see the Pats address this position earlier, but they get a good special teams player as well as a consistent OLB.

Brandon Spikes, ILB

Spikes should be competing for the job alongside Jerod Mayo as the Patriots’ starting middle linebacker. Spikes was a good player in Florida. He is a great tackler and possesses a rare ability to anticipate plays, and he does not give up on plays, regularly chasing down players from behind.

He is strong in the three-point stance, so he will be a threat to get after the quarterback. While Spikes has a great initial burst of energy, whether off the line or into coverage, he is unable to sustain his speed, as he was clocked with a 5.01-40 at the combine. This is slower than the punter the Pats drafted, Zoltan Mesko, who ran a 4.99.

Grade: B I like Spikes despite his lack of speed because he is explosive, energetic, passionate, and smart.

Taylor Price, WR

Price is fast, quick, and has great acceleration, as he bursts off the line and quickly gets to his top speed.

He is a versatile player, as he can pass the ball too, opening up offensive possibilities for New England.

Price is not exceptionally talented as a pass catcher, occasionally dropping catchable balls, but chances are that he’ll be used more as an outside threat than a possession receiver.

Grade: C+ Price is a good pick and will develop to be a good wide out, but the Patriots could have picked a much more explosive player from Notre Dame, named Golden Tate in the second round.

Aaron Hernandez, TE

Hernandez is a great pick for New England. He is a gifted tight end who is quick, a great receiver, and a potential deep threat. He was expected to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick, but the Pats nabbed him in the 4th.

Also, he’s good after the catch, possessing explosive ability while breaking tackles.

Grade: A Hernandez not only fits a need at TE for the Pats, but he creates competition at the position and is great value late in the fourth round.

Before we all jump on the Dolphin’s or Jet bandwagon, lets remember that while they drafted college stars, college success doesn’t always translate to NFL stardom. Obviously, the same holds true for New England in terms of drafting college players, so we’ll have to wait and see how these kids pan out.

Overall Grade: B+. While the Patriots may have drafted some players they could have found in later rounds, they still put together a package of players which are talented and fit needs, both offensively and defensively.

What do you think? Did BB bomb this year’s draft, or will his young rookies find success in the NFL?

As a Pats fan, I must admit that I was frustrated. I mean, a fifth rounder for Santonio Holmes? Considering New England needs a wide out, he could be useful, even if suspended for four games.

But, are the Pats actually the third best team in their division? Let me just say that it is too early to tell. The Patriots have 12 draft picks, and Bill Belichick  has hinted at trading up, potentially spending one of his three second rounders.

Also, before we write the Jets a ticket to the Super Bowl, let’s remember that they lost their best RB from last season, and while they do have LT, Shonn Greene and Leon Wahington, they lost the RB who led the NFL in yards last year.

Plus, they have Mark Sanchez at the helm. I think Sanchez will be a good QB in the NFL, but Sanchez threw 20 picks last year, and was near the bottom of the league in passer rating. If the Jets want to make the Super Bowl, or utilize the weapons they have at the receiver position, Sanchez will have to be better.

Also, the Jets have a very volatile locker room, and while talented, if the team morale drops, the team’s stats will too. Look at the Broncos last season, after starting of 6-0, they went on a stretch of losing.

After losing one game, they were unable to prevent it from snowballing, and I think part of the problem was a lack of trust in their coach (locker room problem). Josh McDaniels was calling out players left and right.

All I’m saying is that locker room problems cannot be underrated. If the Jets get off to a slow start, they may not be able to dig themselves out of the ditch, with multiple locker room distractions.

The Dolphins are seemingly just as talented, but their once strong running game has become inconsistent, with Ricky Williams a year older and Ronnie Brown unable to stay healthy.

The addition of Karlos Dansby will help tremendously, cementing a poor run defense, and the Jets were able to acquire their biggest need, an offensive play-maker in Brandon Marshall.

The ‘Phins gave up little of their “future”, by trading two second rounders over the next two years.

To me, the Jets and Dolphins are both as good if not better than the Pats on paper, but let’s remember how the Patriots won their first Super Bowl.

A superb defense and an above average offense.

The Pats definitely have the latter, even without Wes Welker, and the Pats have 12 draft picks (the majority of them hopefully addressing defense) to bolster their defensive unit.

If the Pats can address the pass rush effectively, the secondary will inherently become better, and Darius Butler certainly has great potential, showing great cover skills last season.

I still have the Pats winning the division, partly because I think with Sebastian Vollmer playing tackle instead of Kaczur the Pats will be able to deal with blitzes (especially against the Jets) much more effectively.

You look at what both Miami and New York have done, add talent at the expense of locker room composure.

What am I saying?

The AFC East is finally a three team division, one of the strongest in the league.

New York and Miami have both improved vastly, but do not discount the team’s losses, or what they’ve given up. The Patriots have lost little from last season, while adding back-ups and depth.

It’s too early to decide who will ultimately have the upper hand, because the draft can change the outlook of any team; for better or for worse.

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First, let’s put this game into perspective. The Pats are the best team this decade, and are the first dynasty of this new  millennium. They played a bad game, and this one loss does not characterize the Patriots’ dynasties.

I’m not going to spend time discussing the game, because in all honesty, there really isn’t much to discuss.

Tom Brady played a terrible game, the wide receivers played a bad game, the defense was laid out to dry, constantly trying to stop the Ravens from their own 30 yard line, and the special teams were sporadically good (some good returns but awful coverage).

That pretty much sums it up.

Brady couldn’t make a pass, and you have to wonder how much of his performance was injury related, as he was throwing ducks throughout the game, unable to zip the ball with a tight spiral consistently. If he did have a broken index finger, that would certainly play a role in his throws.

Randy Moss didn’t have a great game, but he did have a few catches for first downs, and he too was apparently banged up (knees and back).

I am not going to sit here and make excuses for New England. They came out flat and trying to look for a single play which sums up the game would be difficult, because there were so many (key word here) BAD plays by the Pats.

So, after a truly pathetic game, what are some keys which the Patriots need to fix going into next season to go back and contend for the Super Bowl.

In my opinion, these are the key areas the Pats need to focus on:

• Finding a pass rusher/OLB
• Brady coming back healthy
• Receivers playing well potentially without Welker
• The right side of the Patriot line (consistent ground game)
• Defensive cohesiveness/experience
• Coordinators

I know it seems like a lot to handle, but some of these things are expected to happen (Brady’s health early on and the receivers playing well). I think Edelman will continue to develop, and the right side of the line can be bolstered if Sebastian Vollmer plays at the level which we’ve seen him play at (against Dwight Freeney). The defensive cohesiveness just takes time and working together.

One of the most pressing issue that New England faces is finding a player who can rush a quarterback with consistency. Tully Banta-Cain is not a great player, but he is the Patriot’s best pass rusher. He should be a role player on this team, playing in obvious passing situations.

Next year, with their first round mid-twenty pick, they need to draft a pass rusher. Obviously, if they find a guy who they think fits their system, they may look in the second round for that type player.

Preferably, they will draft a linebacker early, because other than Jerod Mayo and maybe Gary Guyton, the Patriot ‘backers are lacking. Adalius Thomas probably won’t be back next year, and Tully Banta-Cain is a good 5th or 6th linebacker.

I do think Derrick Burgess can make an impact if he stays, but he is more of a pass rushing specialist, as he is not the same stud he was earlier in his career.

So, the Patriots should try to find an outside linebacker, because at this point Mayo is great and Gary Guyton is a solid player. Guyton developed with Mayo’s absence, and he has the physical qualities (speed and strength) to have reasonable success.

Secondly, they need to find a way to develop consistency on the ground. I still have faith in Laurence Maroney to average 3.9-4.1 yards per carry and I am willing to give him one more year to be the player we thought we were getting when he was drafted.

Welker is most likely going to be out in the beginning of the season with his knee injury (depending on recovery time his return could even be late in the year). With Welker out, the Pats cannot use those 4-12 yard passes as a running game. I think this might come from a new player on the right side of the O-line.

Nick Kaczur is an okay player, and Stephen Neal, although a great player, is well out of his prime and at this point thinking about retirement. The Pats should be able to find their RG or RT with success, as they have had success drafting linemen in the past.

Next season, Sebastian Vollmer might see more snaps instead of Kaczur, depending on their performances in training camps and pre-season.

Thirdly, Brady needs to come back, fully healthy and ready to play. This season, he came back still finding a rhythm, and he was banged up week to week. He hurt his shoulder in the pre-season, hurt his ribs early on, re-injured them, and broke his finger later on in the year. Essentially, he was never fully healthy and came into the year trying to recover from a serious injury.

I know he had his second best statistical season, but it just seemed like he was not the same quarterback he was in ’07 (or even previous years) in terms of consistency and command.

Tom will have a good off-season, spending time with his family, and he should be able to fully recover, emotionally and physically for the year.

The receiving corps will have to improve upon the season.

Randy Moss is an amazing receiver, but has trouble during certain stretches. He did have 13 TD’s and over 1000 yards over the regular season. The potential loss of Welker early next year will hurt, but Julian Edelman seems like a solid replacement.

Yards after the catch were questioned in Edelman’s ability, and one play that might be forgotten is on a 4th and long play against the Ravens, nullified by a penalty. Nevertheless, Edelman made the catch on the next play for a first down, converting the 4th & 17 play to prolong the game.

However, I want to go back to that initial play. Brady threw a screen pass to Edelman, and from there the game looked over. A Baltimore defender was poised to make a tackle.

At that point, Edelman juked, ran forward and met more defenders, he broke one tackle, spun out of another hut and dove with defenders all around him for 11 yards and the first down. Essentially, it was a ridiculous effort, and if there comes a time next year when Welker and Edelman can finally play together, fully healthy, with a Randy Moss, watch out.

Sam Aiken is a decent 4th option, and hopefully he’ll be okay after hurting his head in today’s game. He has okay speed and while he has trouble reeling in the long ball he makes the easy catches most of the time. Also, I would like to see what Brandon Tate can do after being hurt this season.

Isiah Stanback seems like a decent player. He made the catches during his limited opportunities, but I question his desire to win. After the Baltimore loss, he went over and shook the hands of the opposition. He had a gigantic grin on his face, and while it’s a good thing to have sportsmanship, he could show some disappointment that his season was over.

I think a move will be made to sure up this receiving corp, especially without Welker for some time.

Fourthly, I think the Patriot secondary needs to build on this season. They came out during some plays and made huge interceptions or tackles, but they were inconsistent and clearly a young unit. Leigh Bodden was one of the only consistent factors. Brandon Meriweather seems finally poised to develop into a really good safety (pro bowl this year), and continual improvement over the season. James Sanders finally played very well this year after losing his starting job, wrapping up ball carriers and covering well.

However, despite some players who had success, the secondary was clearly taken advantage of at times because of their youth. Obviously, the only fix for this is to gain experience, and with one season together as a group, they should come out next year playing much more consistently. I like Darius Butler’s coverage abilities and drive, Bodden showed he’s solid, and Meriweather can be great at times. Hopefully Brandon can build up consistency, and James Sanders can build upon this season.

Jonathan Wilhite is an good option at the 3rd corner, but I’m sure New England can find a better option. I think Terrence Wheatley might have an impact if he can stay healthy, but he is an unknown. Shawn Springs is old, and maybe during some packages he plays assuming he stays.

But, with one year under their belt, I think this unit comes out with more success next season as a group but for that to happen, Vince Wilfork, the plug down low, needs to be re-resigned.

And, all season I was talking about it, the defense never seemed cohesive, and they never seemed to play as a unit. At the end of the year they started to play as a team occasionally, but again, I think that this was a very young defense and the only way for them to gain this “cohesiveness” is to play together, which they now have done for a year.

In all, I think the defense comes out much better next season, with the possible addition of a few players through the draft or free agency.

One thing that really does worry me, and is my next point, are the coordinators. I wrote an article about offensive play calling (http://newenglandsportsonline.com/blog/for-the-patriots-a-lack-of-change-is-the-problem/) but I continue to stand by my opinion that Bill O’Brien needs to be revoked of his play calling.

The offense was predictable, and throughout the season the Patriot offense has had to burn a timeout because of the inability to get the play in time. O’Brien is not necessarily a bad coach, but he is not a good play caller. Every down seemed to be predicted, especially against this Ravens team.

The offense was unimaginative and uncreative, and I think these crazy plays and play calls which set up the next plays have been lost, and as a result the excitement players have on offense fades.

Someone who knows what he’s doing (like Weis or McDaniels) needs to take the helm of play calling and the offensive coordinator position.

Belichick had too much to handle this year, dealing with the coordinators, the offensive play calling at teams, defensive play calling, coaching, picking players, etc. If coaches/coordinators are found, I can see this team being much more successful than they were this year.

Defensively, Dean Pees is good at grooming young players, and considering the youth he had on defense this season, their inconsistencies should be excused. Next season, however, I expect more from Pees and his unit.

If it cannot produce, then a change might have to be made. Still, this is a topic for next season.

In my opinion, the number one, most important thing the Patriots need to do? Come back next year, hungry, ready to play. Not just going through the motions. I mean determined and passionate about every single play they make.

We’ll see how this off-season plays out, and if the Pats can improve their roster/coaching staffs.

I still think the Pats are a playoff team, but at this point, not nearly a Super Bowl contender. They’re still a solid team, but at this point not one of the elite.

To return to that status, they will have to have a very successful off-season.

Of Course, No. 93, Richard Seymour, achieved many great personal things as well.

Throughout his time with the Patriots, Seymour compiled 39 sacks, five pro-bowl appearances and of course, three Super Bowl Championships.

His run stuffing and pass rushing abilities instilled the taste of dirt and the look of browned grass into his opponents minds. He truly was an integral part of three Super Bowl winning teams.

Unfortunately, we know that all good things have to come to an end.

So is the case with Richard Seymour, who is no longer a New England Patriot, or No. 93.

He is now No. 92 and will don the silver and black of the Oakland Raiders’ uniform.

Does it hurt to see Seymour go? Absolutely, and the Raiders know they’re getting a hell of a player in Richard Seymour. In this case, the Pats did not really have a choice but to trade Richard.

Next season, Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour would both be eligible for free agency, and would need to be re-signed by the team. In all likelihood, Wilfork will demand a major pay raise similar to that of Albert Haynesworth, as Wilfork is widely considered the best nose tackle in the game. The Pats would not only need to re-sign Seymour, but also retain some key offensive lineman, such as Stephen Neal and Logan Mankins

Wilfork is younger than Seymour, and is certainly in the prime of his career, whereas Seymour is now past his younger days. Richard is certainly a great player, but New England would not have been able to re-sign both Wilfork and Seymour next off-season. Due to age, rare ability at his position, and health factors, Wilfork would have been the logical choice.

Seymour did have great ability at the defensive end position, but the limited end talent in the NFL exceeds the amount of nose tackles with skill the league offers.

Thus, the Patriots had two options.

1. Receive Seymour’s services for another season and get a third round draft choice in 2011 (Just like what happened with Asante Samuel), if they didn’t re-sign him. Due to a probable Wilfork pay raise, the Pats would have had severe trouble re-signing Seymour and some other offensive lineman while remaining under the salary cap.
2. Miss out on Richard for this season and obtain a first round draft pick. Not only is it a first rounder, but it will probably be very high, be it the Oakland Raiders’ pick. Unless Oakland suddenly becomes a legitimate threat (no signs of doing so yet), the Pats will have the opportunity to draft someone to fill Seymour’s shoes, or maybe fill a future void.

The Patriots knew that they could get value on the market by trading Seymour, and they did just that. Hopefully, Bill Belichick & Co. will be able to draft a player of similar caliber to Seymour.

So, Patriots fans, goodbye No. 93, thank you for giving so much to our beloved organization, and just be thankful that you’ve won some Super Bowls with New England, because in  Oakland, a winning season would be a godsend.

They were able to limp to an 11-5 season last year, despite a depleted starting line, both offensively and defensively. Star quarterback Tom Brady was injured, as were running backs Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris, along with guard Stephen Neal.

Defensively, the Patriots were missing the majority of their secondary, including Rodney Harrison and Terrence Wheatley. At linebacker, the Pats were without their strong outside linebacker Adalius Thomas, and were thin at the inside linebacker position as well.

The Patriots need to stay healthy to win next season’s Super Bowl. New England can win games despite injuries; however, the team will need to be at full strength to win a title.

Offensively, the Pats merely need to come close to what they did over the past two seasons, and they will blow away their opponents. With Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker, the passing game will not be an issue.

The Patriots acquired RB Fred Taylor over the offseason. This means that they will feature three prime running backs: Maroney, Morris and Taylor. Each back can put up solid offensive numbers, and each poses a threat for the defense. Taylor and Morris are both hammering backs, and if they have the opportunity to lower their shoulders, they will take it. Maroney is a little bit more of a scat back, and while he can run defenders over, he can also use his quickness to blow by them.

Defensively, the Patriots have the best defensive line in the NFL, and only improved it by picking Ron Brace in the draft. With Brace, Wilfork can get rest while the offensive line still must deal with a monster defender in terms of size.

At linebacker, the Patriots are good, but not great. Jerod Mayo was the rookie of the year last season, and he will only get better. Tedy Bruschi will play alongside him, and while Bruschi is aging, he still makes smart plays and tackles with great consistency. At outside linebacker, the Patriots have Adalius Thomas, who is not only a threat to sack the quarterback, but also is a dominant run stuffer, who can cover the best tight ends in the league.

Opposite Thomas will be Shawn Crable or Tully Banta-Cain. This position is the biggest hole in New England’s defensive lineup; however, Bill Belichick and the rest of the coaching staff have displayed a great amount of confidence towards Crable, and believe he can be a great player. If the genius responsible for three Patriots’ titles puts his trust in a player, you can believe it’s true.

In terms of New England’s secondary, they can be dominant if they remain healthy. In the secondary, Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders are solid safeties. Behind Sanders and Meriweather on the depth charts is Patrick Chung, who can be the hard hitting safety the Pats missed with the absence of Rodney Harrison.

Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden, the two apparent starters for the Patriots, have both proven themselves to be successful corners in this league. Behind Bodden sits younger corners including Jonathan Wilhite, Terrence Wheatley, and Darius Butler. Butler was considered the best corner back available in the draft by some, while Wheatley and Wilhite both demonstrated solid play last year. Wilhite started to come into his own at the end of the year, while Wheatley was able to shut down Reggie Wayne of the Colts before he was injured.

For the Patriots to miss the playoffs, they would need to catch the injury bug. Literally, they would need to have more injuries than last season, because this year they are deeper, more experienced, and better.

The only injury which could truly halt the Patriots’ season would be one to Tom Brady, as Kevin O’Connell still hasn’t proven himself. While O’Connell’s skill is unknown, Belichick may have found himself another gem late in the draft. Hopefully, the Pats will not have to see his skill development this season. The reason I think Brady’s knee will be a non-factor is because if there was any doubt about his health, Bill Belichick would not have dealt Matt Cassel.

The Patriots will win Super Bowl 44, barring more injuries than they experienced last season.

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Here are my thoughts on each individual pick:

• Pat Chung: Chung was a great player for Oregon, and is a hard hitting safety who was battle-tested and very durable throughout his college career. He will mots likely fill the role of Rodney Harrison. The Pats needed somebody to intimidate wide outs when they ventured across the middle of the field, and Chung can be that guy. Brandon Meriweather is more of a coverage safety, while James Sanders is a consistent player who makes the necessary plays, so Chung will give the position more intimidation and run stuffing abilities. I think this was a very solid pick for New England, because they needed somebody to set the tone on defense, and make New England’s physical presence shown early, something thta Chung can do.

• Ron Brace: I think this was a great pick, because Brace is an extremely underrated player due to the shadow that B.J. Raji cast over him. Brace is someone who can give Wilfork a rest while still serving as a threat for defenses. Also, when the Pats throw out their 4-3 package to stop the run during 3rd and short situations, Brace will be much more of a factor than Mike Wright, who previously filled in for Wilfork. Ron is very adept at moving his massive frame, so he can also threaten the QB. Mike Wright will also be given the opportunity to be the back up to Richard Seymour, where he can me much more effective as a pass rusher coming off the edge of the line. Wright was never able to draw double teams when he played as the nose tackle, so Brace will turn what was a weakness of the defense, into a strength.

• Darius Butler: To me, Butler was a steal this late in the second round. He was projected to be a first round pick, maybe early second round. He is not a big corner, but has a 43″ vertical leap, so you know he can cover the deep ball against bigger receivers, something that has been a problem for New England over the past 4 years, even with Asante Samuels. Butler played some receiver in college, so you know that if an opportunity strikes, he will be able to intercept the ball as opposed to drop the pick. I think that the combination of Butler and Chung turns the Pats’ secondary into a strength, after being a weakness the last two years. Now, they are deeper than they have been, and Wheatley and Wilhite are both players with great upsides and have solid skillsets to work with. Hobbs is an average corner, while Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden are both great DB’s. Not only do they have the speed and coverage skills to keep up with the Ted Ginn Jr.’s, but they also have the ability to pound receivers and keep them off the middle of the field.

• Sebastian Vollmer: Vollmer is a huge player who can open some holes for our running backs, and while he may not have been the best O lineman available, BB has had success drafting players who other people have hated, especially along the offensive line. Logan Mankins, one of the elite guards in the NFL, was very low among most mock drafts in the league, but Bill Belichick clearly knew what he was doing when he drafted him. Despite being big, Volmmer is also a player who can move his massive frame. By playing as a 3rd stringer, the older linemen on the team will have the chance to mentor Sebastian and turn him into a successful player.

Overall, the Patriots had a very successful draft, because they turned their secondary into a strength, made their defensive line an absolute terror to play against, and gave their O line some more depth and a more powerful run blocking line. Their offense is set for 2009 (barring any major injury issues similar to last year) and have made their defense more complete. I think Shawn Crable is a very good tackler, who plays instictively and smart, and will be very successful next year. By drafting the way they did, New England can now focus their 3rd round picks on shoring up the backup linebacking position or maybe even adding another defensive back. As recent years have showed, the Pats could never have too many DB’s thanks to major injury problems.

In Bill we Trust!

So, who do I think the Patriots should draft? Logically, it comes down to who’s left. If Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry is available at 23, then he’s obviously going to be selected. Clearly, this is an improbable situation thanks to Curry’s obvious talent. I think that at 23, the Patriots need to look defensively, especially because their offense has not had trouble putting up the numbers in the last two seasons. Brady, Moss, Welker and the Pats offensive line are still intact for at least one more year, and I still have faith in Ben Watson and Laurence Maroney. With Fred Taylor, the Pats have a trio of capable backs (Sammy Morris, Taylor and Maroney) along with their 3rd down back Kevin Faulk. Defensively, the Patriots have a strong line for the time being, in Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren, but realistically, only two of them will be with the team within the next 3 years. Their starting linebackers are on the wrong side of thirty, with the exception of Jerod Mayo, and even though Shawn Crable is highly spoken of by the organization, we still don’t know what he is capable of doing. In terms of defensive backs we made some progress with our ever depleted corner back position by signing Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden. Personally, in terms of corner backs we’re fine, because Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite both showed promise and Ellis Hobbs is a good, not great, a good corner. Springs and Bodden have both played well, and with proper coaching can put their careers back on the right track. Bill Belichick is the coach, so that shouldn’t be a problem. At safety, we have Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders. Meriweather I think can be a great safety in this league because of his athleticism, but he needs to fix his tackling, which so far has been improving very nicely. Sanders is a consistent safety who will continue to improve.

Clearly, it is the front 7 of the Patriots that needs help, as most of their linebackers are old, and their line might not be together in the near future. That is why I think we should draft Clay Matthews, because he not only has a great gene pool, but also because he has a massive upside. He improved all of last season despite not playing much in his first few years at USC, and he showed good instincts and sound fundamentals when he played, something that Coach Bill absolutely adores. Matthews should be available at 23, and will be a great fit in New England.

The 34th pick is a very intriguing pick, as it gives teams an opportunity to pick up ‘leftovers’ per say, from the first round at a bargain price. I think New England will go with either Larry English or James Laurinaitis if they’re available, again because they are both coachable players who have solid instincts and are fundamentally ready to play football in the NFL. Also, by drafting these defenders at this time, older linebackers in the system can serve as mentors, and hopefully these young ‘backers will benefit just like Jerod Mayo did. If neither are available, look for New England to draft a defensive lineman, somebody like Michael Johnson, Paul Kruger or Robert Ayers. All of these players have shown vast improvements throughout their college careers, which bodes well for their future talent. I think that Kruger would be the first two be selected from these three, because he is a solid pass rusher and run stuffer, unlike Ayers and Johnson who both are more pass defending linemen.

This is a very important draft for New England, because they can set some solid foundations of future team growth defensively, and can keep their 3-4 year window of winning more Super Bowls intact.

• The 4th best draft steal is: Deacon Jones, who was a 14th round pick in 1961. He played in 8 pro bowls, and as a pass rush specialist, won Defensive Player of the Year twice.

• The 3rd best draft steal is: Terrell Davis, who was a sixth-round pick in 1984. He helped the Broncos win Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII. He 6,413 yards in his first four NFL seasons with Denver.

• The 2nd best steal is: Joe Montana, who was a third-round pick. He won 4 super bowls for the San Fransisco 49ers and is a Hall of Famer.

• THE#1  BEST DRAFT STEAL OF ALL TIME IS: Our own, Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady. Brady was the 199th overall pick, howeve despite being a sixth rounder, led the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles. He also holds the record for most TD passes in a season, with 50. Brady was the 2007-2008 NFL MVP.

Source Credits:

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d807ad5af&template=with-video&confirm=true