The New England Patriots did what we all expected them to do, they shopped the number seven pick and sold it to the highest bidder.
The highest bidder ended up being the New Orleans Saints, who wanted to ensure they could draft Sedrick Ellis. The trade moved the Patriots down three picks and netted them an additional third round pick (they also gave up their fifth round pick in the deal).
After trading the pick, the Patriots went for a position we all expected, but a player nobody expected.
First Round Pick: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
I’m not sure anyone had the Patriots selecting Tennessee LB Jerod Mayo.
Mayo is a very good player who can play at all three linebacker positions in the 4-3, and projects to an inside linebacker in the 3-4. He was an extremely productive player in college, and was ranked as the number two inside linebacker in the draft almost universally.
Some NFL teams had him ranked higher than USC linebacker Keith Rivers, the Patriots claim they were one of them.
I love this pick. I hadn’t thought of him as a potential selection for the Pats, but in retrospect I should have. He’s a linebacker, he was productive in a major college program, and he is extremely versatile. He perfectly fits the Patriots’ current need to get younger on defense, especially at linebacker.
Learning from Bruschi and (hopefully) Seau should benefit this kid greatly. Trading the seventh pick and an additional fifth rounder for Mayo, some cap space and a third round pick seems like a pretty fantastic deal to me.
Pick Grade: A-
Second Round Pick: Terrence Wheatley, CB, Colorado
We knew they weren’t going cornerback in the first round, for reasons discussed prior to the draft. We had a good idea that they’d take a look at the position in the second round. But the cornerback they selected was downright shocking.
With guys like Justin King, Reggie Smith, and Dejuan Morgan still on the board, the Patriots went with the speedy cornerback from Colorado. A guy I’m relatively certain they could have had with one of their third round picks, and maybe even their fourth round pick.
This one was a head scratcher.
Wheatley gives them a guy who can return kicks and is extremely fast, but is lacking in size—a faster version of Ellis Hobbs. He’s a good player, but certainly a reach in the second round. He’ll be able to contribute right away on special teams, which I’m sure played into the Patriots’ decision to take him this high.
I just think, if he was the top guy on their board, they should have traded the pick. Get an additional pick next year. Then take him in the late third or early fourth round where he belonged.
Pick Grade: C-
The Patriots have three third round picks. I’m rooting hard for one of them to be Penn State LB Dan Connor.
If they can come out of this draft with two potential starting middle linebackers, I will be absolutely ecstatic. Dave Williams, one of Bleacher Reports utmost college experts, loves Connor. The fact that he slipped to day-two is surprising.
Whoever lands him will do so early tomorrow morning. I’m rooting for that team to be the Patriots.
By the way, ESPN’s Michael Smith (formerly of the Boston Globe) should know better. No way the Patriots were drafting Rogers-Cromartie with the seventh pick.
They’d rather pull a Minnesota Vikings and let someone else pick first than pay a cornerback, especially a soft corner like Rogers-Cromartie, seventh pick money.
Back tomorrow with more!
I’m SeanMC.
SeanMC is a Senior Writer at Bleacher Report. His archive can be found here. You can find everything he writes, including articles for other publications, here.
Comments (9) Add a comment »
from 24 days ago
No worries fellow Pats fan, I understand your thoughts on Wheatley.
I will say though that if there's one thing I've learned in the past several years, it's not to doubt the Patriots in their draft opinions.
Wheatley is someone that I think could potentially end up being a steal in the draft, but I think the determining factor is whether he can stay healthy.
And I completely agree with Dan Connor. He, along with Jerod Mayo, are perfect for the Patriots' defensive scheme. I think Connor could end up being similar to Vrabel, with a little less size possible.
from 23 days ago
Wheatley may be a good player, but he can't be a steal in the second round when you could have drafted him in the fourth round. Had he been picked where he was slotted, I would agree.
A second round pick is expected to be decent and contribute.
from 24 days ago
So much for getting Connor. I hate to say it since I like you, but I hated Bill before the Spygate thing (which, by the way, I fell they should just legalize it so you can't cheat--why make it possible for anyone to get an advantage?) and I hate all Boston sports teams except the Bruins right now. Therefore, I am glad you have not had the best draft, and I hope you (and I) are wrong about Mayo being able to add new life to the oldest linebacking corps in the game.
from 23 days ago
I agree on the Spygate rule. I've also felt all along that if Belichick was more liked before Spygate, he wouldn't be getting killed as badly as he has been.
That said, I'm upset they didn't grab Connor, but I love Crable. I love him as a player. He will contribute right away as a pass rusher and a special teamer, and can grow into an every down backer.
from 23 days ago
They reached on Mankins a few years back and that turned out great, Wheatley is one of the more athletic corners in the draft and with proper coaching he could be a stud, it was definitely a reach with Reggie Smith available but judgement should be withheld for now. What the hell were they thinking with Kevin O'Connell in round 3 though? now that's a head scratcher.
from 23 days ago
It's not that he won't be a good player, just that they didn't have to draft him that high. I tend to judge drafts on whether you got the guy where he was slotted. You can't judge the player for a few years. But if the Pats could have traded back or grabbed a higher rated player and still landed the guy later in the next round, it's a bad pick.
If the Patriots didn't have three third round picks, I'd be OK with the reach. But they had plenty of flexibility to move around and get whoever they wanted and maybe grab more picks in next years draft (which they did with the first of their three third round picks).
There was no reason to reach in the third round. Take Reggie Smith or Justin King in the second, then reach for Wheatley in the third round. If you're worried someone else is going to take him, move up.
I'm just not a fan of reaching in the first or second round.
Mankins, for the record, wasn't a reach. He would have gone early-to-mid second round, instead he went with the last pick of the first round.
Wheatley would have lasted until the fourth round, they took him in the second. That's a reach.
from 23 days ago
I suppose, I think Belichick may have been turned off by King's lack of production and the fact that Smith is a 'tweener, still you make a good point about Wheatley, they had a lot of wiggle room (pre and post Charger trade) Crable was a debateable pick as well... I think he'll be a helluva player after a year or too but the consensus is that he's a better athlete than a football player.
In retrospect, I agree with your main point, it was an unnecessary reach, then again, maybe Belichick knew something we didn't, there have been times when a guy has been more highly rated among NFL teams then he was among the media... you never know, I kinda doubt it though.
Godfrey should've been the pick in my mind, but that's just me. (Connor perhaps but Mayo and Crable are just fine)
from 23 days ago
I agree that you don't reach in the first two rounds. In the third maybe, and by the fourth, who cares? But not on impact rounds. (In the first, I would never reach even four spots; in the top ten, I wouldn't reach two!) Overall, however, I am afraid y'all did alright.
from 23 days ago
Mayo definitely raised some eyebrows, no doubt about it. But take a look at each first round pick the Pats have made since the Belichick era began in 2000. In my mind, they're 8 for 8 and, hopefully, soon to be 9 for 9 with a linebacker under the age of 35. They can't miss!
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/histteam?team=nwe&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfldraft%2fdraft%2ftracker%2fhistteam%3fteam%3dnwe
Write a new comment