Winners and Losers from New England Patriots' Draft

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick does not care what anyone thinks of his draft picks. He will always make the picks that he thinks are best for the team.

That being said, those picks always carry a certain set of consequences: good or bad.

Who knows what we'll be saying about this draft class two or three years in the future—that will be the true barometer of whether the draft was a success or failure. Someone will feel some sort of impact from each pick in the immediate future, whether it's a player whose job may be in jeopardy, or someone else whose job may be a little easier thanks to the presence of a highly regarded prospect.

Who is feeling giddy after the draft? Who's feeling a little less positive about their future? Here's a look at some of the winners and losers from the Patriots' selections. 

Winner: Bill Belichick

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

The hoodie hoodwinked us all again. 

First, there was a report from The Boston Globe that the Patriots were trading down and out of the first round. Then, there was a report from CBS Sports that they were trading up instead. Then, they did the unthinkable and made a pick. 

Whether it was all a ploy to drum up interest or value in the pick, we may never know, but what we do know is that Bill Belichick once again nailed their pick by taking a player at a position of need who had fallen into their lap despite being ranked a bit higher than where he ended up being selected.

The Patriots needed a defensive tackle to replace Vince Wilfork, and while some (myself included) believed Sealver Siliga would be up to the challenge, the Patriots would rather keep their options open at the position. If nothing else, the addition of defensive tackle Malcom Brown gives the Patriots even more flexibility between the 3-4 and 4-3 fronts—something Belichick has always cherished.

Loser: Sealver Siliga

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

At 6'2" and 325 pounds, he has the frame to be the second coming of Vince Wilfork.

No, I'm not talking about the Patriots' first-round pick Malcom Brown—who actually measures in at 6'2" and 320 pounds. I'm talking about Sealver Siliga, who has been with the Patriots organization for the past two seasons, developing into what could be a very similar player to Wilfork.

Siliga may still be a big part of the Patriots' plan; his talents will be required in a defense that shifts freely between a 3-4 and a 4-3 front. He's the closest thing the Patriots have on their roster to Wilfork, as a two-gapping nose tackle in three-man lines and as a blocker-occupier in four-man fronts; he possesses an impressive amount of wiggle for a man his size, too.

Thre's no reason to believe Siliga is not ready for this role, but the Patriots probably will employ a rotation among their defensive linemen, asking everyone to share the burden instead of having a workhorse like Wilfork who plays nearly every snap.

That being said, Siliga's chance to shine has dimmed slightly in the wake of the selection of Brown.

Winner: Patriots Cornerbacks

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Logan Ryan, Kyle Arrington, Alfonzo Dennard and Malcolm Butler are all happy campers coming out of the 2015 NFL draft.

Not only did the Patriots neglect the cornerback position until the seventh round, they also added several defenders to their front seven in the form of Oklahoma defensive lineman/outside linebacker Geneo Grissom and Arkansas defensive lineman Trey Flowers as well as defensive tackle Malcom Brown in the first round.

The Patriots' coverage unit may take a step back in 2015 without Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, but with the addition of so many talented defenders up front, the pass-rush should take a step forward, which would help the secondary make more plays on the ball.

The Patriots will take a different approach to pass defense in 2015, but if the Patriots' pass-rush can suffocate opposing quarterbacks in the pocket, "different" may not necessarily mean "worse."

Loser: Tavon Wilson

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

With each year that passes and each obscure safety the Patriots select on Day 2 of the NFL draft, the thread by which Tavon Wilson is hanging on becomes becomes more and more frayed. 

Wilson was drafted in the second round in 2012, a surprising pick after not being invited to the scouting combine that year. He earned an opportunity to start as a rookie in 2012, but he was burned in deep coverage on a couple of occasions and was pulled from the lineup fairly quickly.

Since then, Wilson has carved out a deep niche on special teams, and has not earned much playing time on defense at all.

Now, with the selection of Stanford safety Jordan Richards, the Patriots appear to be preparing for a big competition for roster spots at strong safety. The Patriots just signed Patrick Chung to a four-year contract extension, and Duron Harmon has had a much bigger role on defense than Wilson. Between Harmon, Chung and Richards, the Patriots may have already assembled their strong safety depth chart.

Winner: Matt Patricia

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

The Patriots just got a whole lot deeper in the front seven. Seven of their 11 picks were used to grab defensive players, which will give Matt Patricia a lot more options on defense in 2015. 

Yes, there may be some lingering questions in the secondary, but with the addition of three talented defenders to the front seven, the Patriots have a lot more pieces with which to get creative in their personnel packages. 

Texas' Malcom Brown, Oklahoma's Geneo Grissom and Arkansas' Trey Flowers are all versatile linemen who can play multiple spots in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 front. The Patriots love to go back and forth between the two schemes from week to week, series to series and even play to play, so versatility is a huge key to their ability to make those switches seamlessly and successfully.

Patricia has coached at all levels of the defense, but his roots are in the front seven—he coached the defensive line at Amherst in the late '90s, and one of his first assignments in New England was as linebackers coach in 2006. He's probably chomping at the bit to get his hands on all those prospects and maximize their potential. 

Loser: Jake Bequette

Steven Senne/Associated Press

The Patriots have gone HAM in the front seven in the past. This isn't the first time they've drafted three defenders in the front seven.

In fact, in 2012, the Patriots drafted three prospects up front in Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower and Jake Bequette. The first two have developed into key components in the Patriots defense; Bequette, on the other hand, is on the outside looking in.

He has played a total of 43 defensive snaps in his three-year career according to Pro Football Focus, and has spent much of the rest of his career on the Patriots' practice squad. His time appears to be running out as the Patriots look to new defenders like Zach Moore (drafted in 2014), along with Geneo Grissom, Trey Flowers and Xzavier Dickson this year. 

This year's offseason workout program could be Bequette's last opportunity to make an impression and make the Patriots' roster.