NFL Draft Grades 2010: New England Patriots Report Card

No Sergio Kindle. No Dez Bryant. The Patriots didn't make a sexy pick, but with the 27th pick in the draft, they took Belichick's best value on the board, CB Devin McCourty from Rutgers.

Let me start by saying that anything I say about McCourty isn't meant to be derisive.

The fact that he could have been there in the second round bothers me only slightly, before I realize that if this guy is as good as Belichick thinks he is, he'll be worth a first-round selection.

I like McCourty's versatility on defense and special teams. He's a good cornerback in run support and covers well. When Belichick calls him a "four-down player", that is sincerely a big deal to me.

He was an honor student at Rutgers, and some scouting reports called him the smartest player in the draft. As a special teams gunner, he helps the team in one area of football Bill Belichick puts more value on than anything else: field position.

More than anything, I like his character. He's a hard worker and a team-first guy. He even stayed after practice every day to help buff and shine helmets.

It's easy to criticize the pick—the Patriots desperately needed a top-flight pass-rusher, and they have spent seven picks in the second thru fourth rounds of the past two drafts on defensive backs.

Yet still, the Patriots are without a legitimate shutdown cover cornerback. They needed an answer to the Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes acquisitions of their AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets respectively.

Would they not, then, have been better suited to pick up the better cover corner in Kyle Wilson, who went two picks later to those very same Jets?

But ah, would Wilson contribute on special teams, to help out in the battle of field position?

As far as passing on pass rushers in the first round, it has become clear to me that Bill Belichick will never draft an outside linebacker in the first round that's anything but his golden standard—6'4", 260 pounds, 4.6-second 40-yard dash, and versatility in coverage are all absolutely necessary to warrant a first-round selection from Belichick.

To add two tight ends from the second to fourth rounds seems a little redundant to me, especially two tight ends who have various question marks like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. That being said, I do like both players.

Gronkowski (Arizona) was out last season with a back injury and subsequent surgery. He's considered to be the most complete tight end prospect in the draft in terms of his combined pass-catching and blocking abilities. He can contribute on three downs on offense, and his size and speed make him a mismatch against nearly any team he faces.

Hernandez (Florida) translates to more of an H-back in the NFL than a true tight end. He is also more of a receiving tight end, as he lacks ideal bulk to block much bigger NFL defenders, but he gained a ton of experience catching balls in Urban Meyer's spread offense.

The Patriots took Jermaine Cunningham next, Florida's "other" defensive end (not named Carlos Dunlap, who went with the very next pick).

Cunningham's 6'3", 266-pound frame makes him a good size for Belichick's defense, though it remains to be seen if he translates to a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. He's the first hybrid DE/OLB the Patriots have taken in the draft under Belichick, so that's a huge vote of confidence in that regard.

He's certainly not the answer to all of the pass rush woes they felt last season. Although he did get to the quarterback 18 times in three seasons as a starter, he also benefited from a defense that was stacked at every position.

The selection I like the most in this draft, however, is Florida LB Brandon Spikes.

People have been really down on this guy after he ran a 5-flat 40-yard dash at the combine, but he's an instinctive football player whose nose for the big play will be welcome on a defense that struggled at times to get off the field last season.

He had six interceptions in the past two years, four of which were taken back for touchdowns. He had a combined 270 tackles in three years as a starter—and leader—on both National Championship teams.

Lined up next to Jerod Mayo, these guys are a scary one-two tandem at middle linebacker in the 3-4 scheme.

Both Spikes and Cunningham played in a similar New England-style defense down in Florida, so the learning curve should be easy to handle.

Ohio University's Taylor Price may not be the biggest receiver in the league, but his speed and quickness will serve him well in the NFL, especially in New England's system.

He hauled in 140 catches for 14 touchdowns in his three years as a starter. His 4.41-second 40-yard dash is indicative of his down-field receiving ability, though he needs to work on details and route-running to become an every-down starter in the NFL.

The Patriots made Zoltan Mesko the first kicker or punter selected in the 2010 draft. Mesko punts with his left foot, allowing him to put some interesting spin on the ball. NFL Network's Mike Mayock actually called him the best special teams player in the 2010 draft.

He's a natural leader—how often is a punter a team captain on a Big 10 team?

After the departure of Chris Hansen, who was a serviceable punter at best, they fill a need with a punter who could be more effective than the player he's replacing. With Mesko, who knows, maybe the Patriots won't go for it on fourth down as often this year...

The Patriots were easily the most back-loaded team in the draft in terms of their picks, holding five combined picks in the sixth and seventh rounds.

They used the first two of those picks on linemen Ted Larsen and Thomas Welch. Larsen has played both defensive and offensive line, so who knows what Belichick has planned for him, though his recent experience comes as a center.

Belichick loves to target underrated offensive linemen in the late rounds, and has had success in the past with players such as Dan Koppen, Nick Kaczur, and Stephen Neal.

They picked up Brandon Deaderick, a defensive end who contributed well as a three-year starter at Alabama in Nick Saban's Belichick-style 3-4 defense. He helped them rank no. 2 on defense against the run (no. 3 overall), and will be a good plug on the defensive line.

He has great size for the position, but lacks athleticism. Defensive line coach Pepper Johnson will have fun molding this guy into a starter down the line.

And what do you know, the Patriots took a quarterback in the 7th round. With late-round hits like Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, and Julian Edelman, the Pats followed up with Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson. Hey, someone had to throw Dez Bryant the ball, right?

With the selections of three Florida alums, it's safe to say that Belichick's relationship with Urban Meyer paid off. Belichick also went with a player from Alabama, a statement to the friendship between he and Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

While the Patriots may not have made sexy picks, and may not have been diligent about filling needs, they picked up smart players and influential team leaders with big-game experience in college.

Hopefully for New England, they get to use that big-game experience on the professional level.