This was a tough one lad. Ok I'm not looking at my grades. Going off the top of my head with those, just who's available and doing so through a Pats pov (for us!) Also looking at the board as is and how it played out - not necessarily going BPA bc I had someone graded higher. I think that's fair and no hindsight my grades have been posted before the draft.
RD1
Booth but Hill, Karliftis, Brisker, Cine are in
real consideration. Give me Booth though unless the imaginary scouting director in my head convinces me otherwise. Booth is perfect for us. NFL ready with upside.
Toughest one by far. Travis Jones but that's tough knowing we wanted a WR. Idc though I he graded out in the 2nd for me. Tested top 2 in IDL athletic fits for us. We haven't had a true nose is how many years? Now we have an athletic one in the 2nd RD.
Jalen Tolbert or Leo Chenal. Totally forgot about him. Flip a coin here. He's graded higher so let's go him but Tolbert is right there in this spot 100%
Calvin Austin
Zach Tom
I want to keep Zappe here but Kyle Phillips would be an interesting one if we went with Chenal earlier. Ugh sorry to do this to you it's so tough.
Don't mind Harris at all but maybe take a shot at Zakelj
Tariq Castro Fields
Chasen Hines
Marquis Hayes
So let's say ...
Booth - CB1
Travis Jones - Starting NT
Leo Chenal - HT replacement
Calvin Austin - Slot/Gadget
Zach Tom - lots of potential, love the value & versatility
Bailey Zappe -
@DaBruinz will kill me but QB > WR although I really want to make Phillips the pick. Those two would be sneaky good adds to this group.
Nick Zakelj - same as Tom.
TCF - he's tough, aggressive and versatile
Chasen Hines - athletic, smart & tough.
Marquis Hayes - graded out pretty high for me.
That was tough and again I might have forgot a few people.
My thoughts during the weekend:
Loved the trade-down; as soon as Davis & Penning were both gone, I wanted out of 21... I would've previously stayed for McDuffie but I knew that there would be good ones still available at 29 the way the previous 20 picks had gone...
29 should've been either Karlaftis or one of the DBs (Hill, Booth, Gordon), Plain & Simple; and I think I would've hoped aboard the Dax Hill Express, because he very likely would've played more snaps and sooner while the others learned on the sidelines to start the season...
HATED the trade-up; Too Much for Not Enough... I was really, Really hoping it would be Travis Jones but if not then Skyy Moore... Another case where Need matched Talent... But it was neither so 158 was a Complete ****ing Throw-Away.
Before Friday, would anyone else in the Entire Human ****ing Race have chosen TyQuan Thornton ahead of Skyy Moore... or Alec Pierce... or Jalen Tolbert... or even Romeo Doubs?
85 should've been 3/3 on Defense: DE Cam Thomas, whom I would've very strongly considered at 54 (along with OLman Bernhard SeaBass Jr Raimann but NOT Strange69) if Travis Jones weren't available there...Tolbert or OLman Sean Ryan would've been my pick here if Thomas were unavailable; but the drop-off from him to the next group was too precipitous, and besides I already passed-over Karlaftis so I didn't want to risk losing the last of the really good DE prospects... Judon needs help too after all.
Liked the trade-down; we need more picks for next year, and we should still find somebody at 137 close to whom we would've considered at 94 anyway...
But I ****ING HATED EVERY SINGLE ****ING PICK OF THAT ENTIRE FOURTH ****ING ROUND. That made the 3rd round of 2020 look like the 1st round of 1973 by comparison...
After going all defense the first two days, I'm starting Day 3 with two picks for the offense: OLman Zachary Tom & WR Romeo Doubs, the best players available at their respective positions... Except for being a dozen lbs lighter, Tom has very similar physical & athletic traits to Strange69; and while not being as straight-line fast as BoneyT, my Romeo is a Much more polished & versatile receiver.
At 137, I'm taking the best DB available because our secondary ****ing sucks and all my other needs have been filled at least once: Zion McCollum, another physical & athletic specimen like Hill but with Outside CB experience, albeit at a lower level - but that doesn't matter to Bill, amirite? The Jones Boys can **** off.
At 158 because I'm not a ****ing idiot like Notgoat, all you RB-lovers can have one here as the Bonus Plan... But I choose Ty Chandler, a legit 3rd-down weapon.
As per one of my goals pre-draft, I'm going to continue double-dipping at positions of need, this time for the OL at 183, a different body type than Tom but also with college LT experience: Jamaree Salyer, whose fall had more to do with injury/weight concerns than it had to do with performance concerns; and at 183 I'm much less concerned than I would've been at 121.
More double-dipping at 200 & 210...First, the best DE still available: Isaiah Thomas, Beast... Then, the best WR still available: Bo Melton, Speed AND Quickness... unlike BoneyT.
And finally, to complete the masterpiece at 245 I present to you DB #3 (I've already double-dipped at OL, WR & DE), from the University of Bill Belichick Junior itself: Josh Jobe, already well-versed in the way our secondary works up here too... He'll need to completely recover from the foot injury that prevented him from working-out before the draft, but as soon as that happens he should be able to become a future #4, similar to JMac during the Gilmore-JCJ-JJones days.