NFL Draft 2011: New England Patriots Team Draft Retrospective

This article is part of a series that looks at each NFL team’s recent draft history with the hope of extracting information about the way they think and the players they value.

The analysis is limited to the past five drafts in the interest of relevance, and the first three rounds because that’s where most impact players are taken.

This entry will focus on the New England Patriots.

Draft History

In the past five years, the Patriots have taken the following players in the early rounds. Their positions and the rounds in which they were drafted are listed next to their names.

2006:   Laurence Maroney, RB (1)

            Chad Jackson, WR (2)

            David Thomas, TE (3)

2007:   Brandon Meriweather, S (1)

2008:   Jerod Mayo, LB (1)

            Terrence Wheatley, CB (2)

            Shawn Crable, LB (3)

            Kevin O’Connell, QB (3)

2009:   Patrick Chung, S (2)

            Ron Brace, DT (2)

            Darius Butler, CB (2)

            Sebastian Vollmer, OT (2)

            Brandon Tate, WR (3)

            Tyrone McKenzie, LB (3)

2010:   Devin McCourty, CB (1)

            Rob Gronkowski, TE (2)

            Jermaine Cunningham, DE (2)

            Brandon Spikes, LB (2)

            Taylor Price, WR (3)

Breakdown by Position

Here is the number of players the Patriots have drafted for each position:

Linebacker: 4

Cornerback: 3

Wide receiver: 3

Safety: 2

Tight end: 2

Defensive end: 1

Defensive tackle: 1

Offensive tackle: 1

Quarterback: 1

Running back: 1

Impact

Brandon Meriweather is a Pro Bowl safety. Jerod Mayo is one of the league’s top inside linebackers. Patrick Chung is a very good run stopping strong safety and special teams player. Darius Butler has been a very disappointing cornerback, but has contributed as a kick returner. Sebastian Vollmer is an outstanding offensive tackle who can play both sides. Brandon Tate is a very productive kick returner, but inconsistent as a receiver. Devin McCourty already looks like one of the league’s best corners after just one year. The same goes for tight end Rob Gronkowski. Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes are sturdy run stuffers at the linebacker position, though the former, playing outside, leaves something to be desired as a pass rusher.

Over this span, the Patriots have been one of the top teams in the league, especially in 2007 when they came within a game of completing a perfect season. However, they have yet to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to New England after winning three Super Bowls at the start of the decade.

Trends

Before even getting into any positional analysis, it must be noted that the Patriots love to stockpile draft picks. They are especially fond of the value in the second round, picking there a whopping seven times in the past two years. The team has achieved this by frequently trading down on draft day, taking advantage of teams who have keyed in on one player and want to secure him.

Coach Bill Belichick appears to really value the linebacker position. If we include Jermaine Cunningham, who was converted from defensive end to outside linebacker, the team has essentially spent five early picks to fill out the linebacker position. While these include some very good players, especially the inside duo of Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes, they have yet to find a dominant pass rusher and that is their biggest weakness on defense.

Cornerback has received a lot of focus as well, and Belichick finally hit on his third try, snagging Devin McCourty late in the first round last year. The receiver position has not been so lucky and the team continues to struggle to develop a young target for quarterback Tom Brady. Their success in the passing game has consistently relied on veterans acquired in trades.

Both lines have been largely neglected over this span, but this is largely a product of the fact that the Patriots had already stockpiled elite linemen in earlier drafts, and as a result, they were all set at those positions. However, many of those players are now either departed or past their primes, and the Patriots need to restock.

The Patriots haven’t selected a running back early since Laurence Maroney in 2006. This seems to reflect the increasing devaluation of the position in recent years; as a result, quality backs can now be found in the middle rounds. Moreover, the Patriots like to use a committee approach to their rushing attack. It also doesn’t help that Maroney was a disappointment.

2011 Outlook

The Patriots have been up to their usual tricks, and they now hold multiple picks in each of the first three rounds of the upcoming draft. Of course, it’s anyone’s guess which ones they’ll actually hold onto, but nevertheless, they should be able to meet most of their needs.

As noted above, both lines need to be addressed. At least one defensive end is needed, which is convenient timing because this year boasts a great defensive line class. J.J. Watt (Wisconsin) would be a great fit for New England, but there are reports that the team refuses to deal with his agent, Tom Condon. If so, there are plenty of great consolation prizes, such as Cameron Jordan (California), Muhammad Wilkerson (Temple), Cameron Heyward (Ohio State) and Marvin Austin (North Carolina).

As for the offensive line, the Patriots need both a guard and a tackle. For the former, Mike Pouncey (Florida) will likely tantalize them. If not, they can find good options later like Danny Watkins (Baylor) or Rodney Hudson (Florida State).

At tackle, Anthony Castonzo (BC) or Derek Sherrod (Mississippi State) would be a great first-round pickup. However, given that Sebastian Vollmer is capable of manning the left side, they may choose to wait and take a right tackle in the third like Joseph Barksdale (LSU) or James Brewer (Indiana).

The team’s biggest need is a pass rusher, and they’re almost certain to address it with one of their first three picks. Aldon Smith (Missouri) has the prototypical pass rushing build and athleticism that Bill Belichick likes. Brooks Reed (Arizona) is also a very explosive athlete who has drawn comparisons to Clay Matthews.

The team could use a cornerback to groom alongside McCourty. Curtis Brown (Texas) or Brandon Harris (Miami) in the second seems like a great fit.

New England could use a running back to add to the rotation. While many have speculated that they will take Mark Ingram (Alabama) or Mikel Leshoure (Illinois) with one of their numerous early picks, they don’t really seem to value the position enough to do so, as discussed above.

My guess is that they’ll wait until the middle rounds.