New England Patriots Rookie Report Card Grades After Week 7

The New England Patriots didn't exactly enter the offseason needing an influx of talent. As defending Super Bowl champions, the Patriots already had a strong base in place. Instead of replenishing the core of the team, New England simply needed to add supplementary pieces to again be a competitor.

The Patriots, though, didn't look to the 2017 draft for many of those supplemental pieces. Instead, the team looked to free agency and the trade market.

New England traded away first-, second- and fourth-round picks to acquire pieces Brandin Cooks, Kony Ealy and Dwayne Allen. The Patriots also sent a fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills to acquire restricted free agent Mike Gillislee.

In all, New England only made four choices in the 2017 draft. This doesn't, however, mean New England hasn't got some significant rookie contributions. While the Patriots certainly aren't relying on first-year talent, some of the youngsters have stood out.

With the middle of the season on our doorstep, now is the perfect time to examine exactly where the rookie contributions have come from and how New England's draft class is fairing. We'll be looking at the Patriots' 2017 draft picks and significant rookie free agents and providing letter grades for each of them.

Derek Rivers, Antonio Garcia and Conor McDermott

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Unfortunately for the Patriots, three of the team's four draft picks have been unable to contribute this season.

Third-round pick Derek Rivers, a pass-rusher out of Youngstown State, was supposed to help add a little something extra to New England's pass rush. Considering Rivers finished his career fifth on the all-time FCS sack list, it certainly appeared he had the skills to do so.

Unfortunately, Rivers suffered a torn ACL in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve.

New England also tried to bolster its offensive-line depth by drafting a pair of offensive tackles. The Patriots took Troy tackle Antonio Garcia in the third round and selected UCLA tackle Conor McDermott in the sixth.

Neither Garcia nor McDermott made it to the regular-season roster, though. Garcia was placed on the reserve/illness list. McDermott is currently a member of the Buffalo Bills.

Grade: Incomplete

Deatrich Wise

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

While Rivers hasn't been able to boost New England's pass rush, fellow rookie Deatrich Wise has. The former Arkansas standout has amassed 11 tackles, 3.0 sacks and many more quarterback pressures as a situational player.

Only Trey Flowers and Kyle Van Noy have more sacks on the season for New England.

What might be most impressive about the fourth-round pick is his drive, demeanor and desire to improve. While Wise has been efficient bringing edge pressure, he recognizes that sometimes he can get too deep and allow mobile quarterbacks to gain yardage up the middle.

"I have to get it off tape and stop doing it," Wise said, per Rich Garven and Mark Daniels of the Worcester Telegram. "I just have to learn how to spin the corner a little faster like I did before and make sure I'm not behind the quarterback, I'm at the depth of the quarterback so I can work on him. If I'm past him I've just got to come back under."

In typical Patriots fashion, Wise is looking to fix mistakes rather than riding his skills. Expect him to continue having an impact all season long.

Grade: A

Harvey Langi

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Undrafted linebacker Harvey Langi was one of the stars of New England's preseason. The former Brigham Young star racked up 12 tackles in four appearances with two starts. He made the regular-season roster and appeared to be a regular contributor on defense.

Unfortunately, Langi only appeared in one regular-season game and made just one tackle before he was injured in a car crash in early October. Both Langi and his wife were hospitalized for more than a week after the incident.

A Massachusetts man faces drug- and alcohol-related charges for his role in the crash. 

While Langi may still be a big part of the Patriots' future, his impact isn't likely to be known until next season.

Grade: Incomplete

Jacob Hollister

Steven Senne/Associated Press

We mentioned that the Patriots traded away a fourth-round pick to acquire tight end Dwayne Allen from the Indianapolis Colts. With Rob Gronkowski already on the roster, adding a pass-catching tight end wasn't necessarily a priority in the draft.

While the Patriots didn't draft a tight end, they did make a strong play for former Wyoming tight end Jacob Hollister in free agency. His free-agent deal included a $10,000 signing bonus and $90,000 guaranteed.

Hollister hasn't seen a large role in the offense. Despite his athletic potential, he's seen limited snaps and has a mere two receptions for 24 yards on the year. Considering Allen is still looking for his first reception as a Patriot, though, Hollister's contributions don't look terrible.

Hollister made the roster and appears to be a player who could be part of the team's future. That's a great start.

Grade: C

Adam Butler

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Rookie defensive tackle Adam Butler is another undrafted free agent who has been a pleasant surprise this season. The Vanderbilt product has been one of the league's better run-stopping defensive tackles, and he's been able to bring some pressure from the interior as well. In seven games and four starts, Butler has racked up 10 tackles and a sack.

Butler's first NFL sack came last week against the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie definitely enjoyed it.

"We sacrifice a lot and we work so hard through the week just to get to that moment," Butler explained, per Rich Garven of the Worcester Telegram. "So, in that moment, I just let it all out. I was so happy for myself, but so happy for the team, as well.”

Butler might not be a rookie star, but he's a solid piece of New England's defensive-line rotation. In the Patriots' 4-3 base defense, that's big.

Grade: B+