Re-Grading New England Patriots' Past 5 Drafts

The NFL draft is full of guesses and predictions, even for the teams making the picks. 

With the benefit of hindsight, some of those decisions may have played out a little differently.

Grading a draft in its immediate aftermath is about as pointless a task as there is. It's why fans of the Seattle Seahawks have taken such glee in pointing out all the ridiculous grades handed to their team in the wake of the 2012 draft.

With a few years of data to look back on, we can get a much better idea of how those teams actually fared in the draft. So, with that in mind, let's take a look back at the New England Patriots' five past drafts and analyze each one. 

2010

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	27	Devin McCourty	DB
2	42	Rob Gronkowski	TE
2	53	Jermaine Cunningham	LB
2	62	Brandon Spikes	LB
3	90	Taylor Price	WR
4	113	Aaron Hernandez	TE
5	150	Zoltan Mesko	P
6	205	Ted Larsen	C
7	208	Tom Welch	T
7	247	Brandon Deaderick	DT
7	248	Kade Weston	DT
7	250	Zac Robinson	QB

Best Pick: Rob Gronkowski

Any time you have a chance to grab a perennial All-Pro in the second round, you take it. It's been a long journey for tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has battled through multiple injuries to his forearm, back and knee, but the Patriots probably wouldn't trade it for the world.

In his five-year career, Gronkowski has caught 54 touchdown passes, most among tight ends in their first five years and more than all but three other players in NFL history in their first five years: wide receivers Jerry Rice, Randy Moss and Dez Bryant. 

Worst Pick: Aaron Hernandez

This one needs little explanation.

Through three years, tight end Aaron Hernandez had the look of a player who might be the steal of the NFL draft. Two years later, he is now spending the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty of the murder of Odin Lloyd. 

Should Have Had That Guy: Carlos Dunlap

The Patriots used the 53rd overall pick on Florida defensive end Jermaine Cunningham. The very next selection, the Cincinnati Bengals picked up his Gators teammate, Carlos Dunlap. The two may have lined up in the same defense, but they took different career paths. 

Dunlap has posted at least six sacks in four of his five seasons in the NFL and is now a starter for the Bengals. Cunningham, on the other hand, has notched only 3.5 sacks in his entire career and has bounced around the league for the past couple of seasons, taking a deal with the San Francisco 49ers and then with the New York Jets. 

Overall Grade: A

The Patriots had a poor batting average in this draft, but they hit two big-time home runs. Devin McCourty and Rob Gronkowski are the only players who have paid big dividends for the Patriots, but those two are considered among the best at their position in the entire league. Anything else would be icing on the cake, and the Patriots got three good years out of Hernandez, Brandon Deaderick and Zoltan Mesko and four years out of Brandon Spikes. 

2011

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	17	Nate Solder	OT
2	33	Ras-I Dowling	CB
2	56	Shane Vereen	RB
3	73	Stevan Ridley	RB
3	74	Ryan Mallett	QB
5	138	Marcus Cannon	OL
5	159	Lee Smith	TE
6	194	Markell Carter	LB
7	219	Malcolm Williams	CB

Best Pick: Nate Solder

Some talented offensive linemen came out of the 2011 draft. Tyron Smith, Mike Pouncey and Anthony Castonzo are among them, but so is left tackle Nate Solder.

The left tackle has had an up-and-down career, but he's proved to be a starting-caliber left tackle, taking on some of the game's best pass-rushers one-on-one out on an island. Some folks focused on his struggles in 2014, but according to Pro Football Focus, he yielded only six sacks in the regular season and was good enough to rank among the 15 most efficient pass-protectors at tackle. 

Worst Pick: Ras-I Dowling

Ras-I Dowling had everything the Patriots needed in a boundary corner: the size (6'1", 198 lbs), speed (4.46-second 40-yard dash) and strength (19 bench-press reps). Who knows what might have been if he had never succumbed to injury, but the Patriots had plenty of knowledge of his injury history before he entered the NFL.

Should Have Had That Guy: Jabaal Sheard

When the Patriots handed in the selection of Dowling, it was surprising for a few reasons. After drafting a cornerback high in the 2010 draft, the position was not seen as a glaring need. They also passed on some notable pass-rushers, such as Jabaal Sheard and Brooks Reed, who were available in that spot. 

Sure enough, the Patriots ended up with "that guy" on their roster five years later, anyway. And now, someone else has gone through the trouble of developing him, and the Patriots can capitalize on that work. 

Overall Grade: A

Solder has developed into a starting left tackle. Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley were key components to the Patriots offense in their time with the team. Marcus Cannon just earned a contract extension to remain an important backup for four more years.

This class also gets a bump in its draft grade thanks to the trade of the first-round pick (28th overall) to the New Orleans Saints for a second-round pick and a first-round pick the next year, which the Patriots would use wisely to add to their defense. 

2012

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	21	Chandler Jones	DE
1	25	Dont'a Hightower	LB
2	48	Tavon Wilson	DB
3	90	Jake Bequette	DE
6	197	Nate Ebner	DB
7	224	Alfonzo Dennard	CB
7	235	Jeremy Ebert	WR

Best Pick: Dont'a Hightower

The Patriots traded up not once but twice in the first round to grab both defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Either Jones or Hightower could be argued as the team's best pick in this draft, but Hightower has faced the most adversity and has shown the most signs of development.

Even with season-ending injuries to Jerod Mayo in each of the past two years, Hightower has managed to step into the captain's spot, call the signals for the Patriots' complex defense and has even found enough time amid all those new responsibilities to hone his own craft, becoming one heck of a pass-rushing/blitzing linebacker in the process. 

Worst Pick: Tavon Wilson

That shrill shriek you heard was every Patriots fan collectively asking each other "who?" 

The Patriots certainly needed help at safety, and Tavon Wilson had his moments where he appeared as though he might be capable of holding down one spot in the deep half of the secondary, but the Patriots' continued search for strong safeties is indication enough that even they are not thrilled with how their 2012 second-round pick has panned out.

Should Have Had That Guy: Kendall Reyes

Once again, the guy the Patriots should have taken was selected with the pick immediately following their own. The San Diego Chargers grabbed Connecticut defensive lineman Kendall Reyes at No. 49 overall. He has been everything the Patriots would love in a defensive tackle, showing skills both as a pass-rusher and as a gap-stuffer in the Chargers' multiple scheme. 

Overall Grade: A

Once again, the Patriots may not have landed more than a couple of key contributors, but those two players have been a huge part of the team's success since their arrival. 

2013

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
2	52	Jamie Collins	LB
2	59	Aaron Dobson	WR
3	83	Logan Ryan	DB
3	91	Duron Harmon	DB
4	102	Josh Boyce	WR
7	226	Michael Buchanan	DE
7	235	Steve Beauharnais	LB

Best Pick: Jamie Collins

The Patriots have made a lot of bad second-round picks over the years, but Jamie Collins is definitely not one of them. The versatile linebacker seems to have a "breakout" game every other week, particularly in 2014, and the Patriots have found multiple ways to use their athletic linebacker including in coverage, blitzing and against the run.

Collins had to take on a bigger leadership role in 2014, with Jerod Mayo injured once again, but he answered the bell and should be a key player in the defense for years to come. 

Worst Pick: Josh Boyce

This isn't Josh Boyce's fault. A lot of things have changed in the Patriots offense over the past two years, particularly at wide receiver. It seems like a lifetime ago that the Patriots signed Danny Amendola, and the man who was signed to replace Wes Welker took a couple of years to get going before finally breaking out at the end of the 2014 season and in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman have carved out roles for themselves in the offense. Second-round pick Aaron Dobson has also had a forgettable start to his career. Boyce, on the other hand, was injured early in his rookie year and never got a chance to get going. He was a practice squad player in 2014 and isn't a lock to make the roster this year. 

Should Have Had That Guy: Keenan Allen

The entire NFL passed on Keenan Allen three times, but the Patriots nabbed Dobson at the end of the second round, and the Marshall product has had a lot harder time finding his place in the NFL than the California product. The Patriots could have benefited from a big-bodied receiver like Allen in their offense, but instead, they get to watch the Chargers benefit from his abilities. 

Overall Grade: B

The Patriots have found one bona fide stud in this draft, and three other players (Dobson, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon) have a chance to become key players for the Super Bowl champions. Ryan could be a starting cornerback, Harmon's role could increase in a scheme that will be much more suitable to his strengths, and Dobson could still come on as a fourth receiver. 

2014

Matt York/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	29	Dominique Easley	DT
2	62	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB
4	105	Bryan Stork	C
4	130	James White	RB
4	140	Cameron Fleming	OT
6	179	Jon Halapio	OG
6	198	Zach Moore	DE
6	206	Jemea Thomas	DB
7	244	Jeremy Gallon	WR

Best Pick: Bryan Stork

The Patriots found a player who has the look of a starting center, and they found him in the fourth round. This is the hallmark of a Patriots draft: finding the best value available.

Stork wasn't even a big part of the plan initially, only getting his opportunity in Week 5 when the Patriots offensive line was at its wit's end with rotations and substitutions. The result was a steadying presence in the middle of the line that helped the Patriots offense finally find its rhythm. 

Worst Pick: Jon Halapio

Asking who's the "worst sixth-round pick" is like asking who's the "worst underdog." These guys aren't supposed to be all-stars. That being said, Jon Halapio was released at the end of training camp in his rookie year. He spent the season looking for work, before finally signing with the Broncos practice squad at the end of the season. 

Should Have Had That Guy: N/A

It's too early to tell if the Patriots should have taken one guy instead of another. 

Overall Grade: Incomplete

Yeah, I'm going with a bit of a cop-out here and giving the Patriots an incomplete. There are a lot of questions about the Patriots' 2014 draft class.

We've still not seen enough of Dominique Easley to get a good read on his NFL projection. We still don't know if Jimmy Garoppolo is the heir to Tom Brady or just another in a long line of mid-round backups. We still don't know what to expect from James White. 

For now, with so many players in menial roles and so many question marks at other spots, the Patriots 2014 draft grade is incomplete.