Apr 29, 2023
So much for the theory that the Patriots needed to nail the draft because after round one I have no faith in this thing whatsoever
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So much for the theory that the Patriots needed to nail the draft because after round one I have no faith in this thing whatsoever
Wait a Sec! Patriots You Cannot Possibly be planning to draft NINE TIMES on Day 3. That Draft Capital means you were supposed to trade up to Get Another Day 2 Pick
Are the Patriots ever planning on drafting on Offense? At All?
I don’t know who Keion White is but welcome to the Patriots
Gonzalez. I certainly don’t hate it
Reactions to the First Round Pats Picks
Well, predicting one out of two isn’t too bad. After a shocking turn of events, the Patriots made their picks and they weren’t too terribly shocking. As the second day of the draft is set to being, let’s examine the newest members of the New England Patriots.
Pick 23 - Isaiah Wynn - Left Tackle/Guard - Georgia
A bit of a surprising selection. The most glaring weakness on the Patriots roster is the left tackle position ever since Nate Solder signed with the New York Giants, and many fans and analysts expected the Pats to address this issue early in the draft. Names such as Kolton Miller, Connor Williams, and Brian O’Neill were names thrown around as possible picks at number 23, but with the rush for offensive line help causing Miller to go as high as the fifteenth selection, the Patriots had to quickly make a move for the player they wanted.
The biggest question about Wynn is where he will play at the NFL level. One would hope that the Georgia product would be the next long-term solution at left tackle, but concerns with his size have many analysts predicting a move to the interior line. Wynn stands at 6′3 which is a huge step down from the massive 6′8 Nate Solder. His less than prototypical size at the position is far more in line with the average size of an offensive guard and he could struggle with the more powerful pass rushers found in the NFL.
That all being said, Wynn was a truly outstanding left tackle in college and was a large reason why the Bulldogs made it to the NCAA championship game in 2017. ProFootballFocus puts it best, in the entire 2017 season Wynn only allowed five quarterback pressures. The QB was hit by his blocking assignment just 26 times in his 2,609 college snaps. The player is beyond talented and deemed an instant starter by NFL.com. While it’s yet to be seen if he has what it takes from a physical standpoint to play at the left tackle spot, his ability to get it done week-in-week-out in the most pro-level conference in college football is an encouraging sign. It’s difficult to fully get behind this pick due to the questions involving his position of play, but the Pats would be hard pressed to find a better player at pick 23 than Isaiah Wynn.
Bottom Line: A complete steal if he can play left tackle, but an outstanding blocker to perhaps beat out Joe Thuney in the short term and Shaq Mason in the long.
Pick 31 - Sony Michel - Running Back - Georgia
Goodbye, Dion Lewis. Hello, Sony Michel. Again, the Patriots addressed a significant off-season departure by looking for top talent in the first round. While Michel was the third running back selected (behind Barkley and Penny), he was considered by most to be the second best player at his position in the draft.
There seems to be some misinformation flying around about Michel in the moments after the Pats drafted him, so let’s delve into what kind of player he is.
He split carries during his senior year at Georgia and still ended with 1,200+ yards and an outstanding 16 touchdowns on the ground (with one more coming in the passing game) and just two fumbles on the season. Michel is being labeled with a fumbling issue due to his 12 fumbles throughout his college career, but it’s important to note that almost half of these came in his senior season. Michel has shown steady improvement in nearly all areas, but his biggest shocker of a statistic was his unbelievable 7.9 yards per carry in 2017. The level of production Michel has achieved is truly exciting and he’ll offer yet another place from which the Pats can hit their opponents from.
I’d like to take a moment to attack some narratives being thrown around now. Injury concerns are cropping up, but Michel appeared in all games played his senior and sophomore years and just missed one game his junior year. The concerns of lingering injuries are far overblown as availability to that scale at the running back position is something teams adore. Finally, some comparisons are being made to Saints phenom Alvin Kamara. While I’d love to say Michel is another Kamara, he’s not a terribly talented pass catcher. He had just nine receptions in 2017 and has never eclipsed 244 yards receiving in any of his college seasons. Michel does many things right, but he’s certainly no Alvin Kamara. The tool sets are completely different.
Bottom Line: The real deal, complete package. Michel could be the day one starter at the position and his production will only be aided with the strong interior offensive line play of the Patriots and vaunted aerial attack. Expect Michel to be a staple of an already great offensive unit.
The second and third rounds begin tonight. Some picks on the defensive side of the football are anticipated. A couple names I’d personally love to see are Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson (whom I wrote about on the previous blog entry), and Boston College’s Harold Landry has fallen significantly from where many analysts projected him to go. Health injuries have played Landry, but he recorded 16.5 sacks in 2016 which is quite the instant fix for the New England pass rush issue.
It’s an exciting time in New England, and let’s hope it continues into the later rounds of the draft. Expect analysis of the next round to be posted later tonight, or early on Saturday. Until then,
Go Pats.
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