2008 NFL Draft Review

'08 Draft Review: Patriots 2008 NFL Draft Review

Round 1, Pick 10: The best thing about this pick was that it helped the Pats to also get a second rounder in the 2009 draft--because having three 3rds allowed them the luxury to make that move. The choice of LB Jerod Mayo of Tennessee was logical and certainly helped to fill a need. He was rated as a late-teens-to-early-20s type of value though, and so you can't praise the selection more than the fact that it was the best player on their board at the time they selected, and that it filled a critical need. However, those broad statements doesn't always cut it in the business of grading out folks' draft picks. Sure, the Pats probably would have preferred to trade down even further, but with the success they've had doing that in recent years, it's amazing they got a trading partner at all from among jealous NFL clubs. Getting out of that 7-hole was CRITICAL, and the Pats are to be congratulated in doing it (though we noticed their compensation for doing so was less than others were getting for even smaller incremental movement.) Mayo should start, but he is not the Rey Maualuga-type answer that was dancing in Patriots' fans heads a few months ago. Grade: B

Round 2, Pick 62: Ah! Terrence Wheately, CB, Colorado...We at CDS knew the Pats would like this kind of corner. He was flying slightly under the radar due to some injury (wrist) concerns, but the kid will be the next Randall Gay, at a minimum, and perhaps even an Ellis Hobbs clone, with some time and seasoning. Still, even CDS (who liked him far more than most) had him as a bit later value, so we can't jump overboard on this grade. Grade: B

Round 3, Pick 77: Shawn Crable, LB/DE, Michigan. Now we can rave. Crable is going to likely be one of the steals of this draft. Sure, he has some football intelligence issues to iron out, but he has room to grow, is very fast for his size, and in true BB fashion, can be used in so many ways. Not the smoothest backpedal or pass defense resume we've seen, but he'll learn. Can anyone say Willie McGinest II? He is not the same player, but he should be able to fill the same type of role. If he pans out in a transition to OLB, the Pats just got the mantra of "we've got to get younger at LB" out of their earshot for the foreseeable future-- between Crable and Mayo. Now, if that doesn't work, get him to the pasta table, and you have a nice 4-3, 3rd-down pass rusher at worst. Very good pick, even though other prognosticators may not have had him rated any higher than where he ended up going. Grade: A

Round 3, Pick 94: We heard the groans, but look, QB Kevin O'Connell is FAR more naturally athletic (though not as hard working) than Tom Brady. (Weird how you don't need to be born athletic, huh?) Kevin is taller too, and throws a catchable (though sometimes erratic) ball. He is the 2nd fastest QB in this draft, and perhaps the fastest to ever come to Foxboro to don the red, white and blue. He led his college club in rushing. You HAD to get a quality backup some time, and this was the exactly perfect time. Some may argue that he was a 110-130 value on most boards, and while that may be true, someone was going to reach any moment, and for the Pats (who can afford such luxuries) it made perfect sense to us. Grade: A

Round 4, Pick 129: What in the world happened after Round 3? This Pats' draft was shaping up very nicely until this pick started a run of real head scratchers. Sure CB Jonathan Wilhite of Tennessee has some upside that was cloaked somewhat by nagging little injuries, but he could have been had in Round 6. He's got some skills, but how many CBs can make this team?? Wouldn't a nice young TE like Kellen Davis, or a depthy DT, or Olinemen made A LOT more sense here? We think so. Grade: D+

Round 5-153: Matthew (Jackie's boy) Slater. WHO!?! ..yea we knew he was a KR at UCLA, but that didn't warrant any consideration as a draftable prospect in this corner. OK...he's a scary kick returner, but he is listed as a WR on the card, and he had 0 catches. Do you trade UP to take a guy who was very likely a UDFA? We don't think so, even if he leads the NFL in KRTDs next season. Just a foolish pick. Grade: F

Round 6, Pick 197: LB Bo Ruud of Nebraska was a decent selection here if you really needed another LB..which the Pats didn't by this point. Again, they needed a young RB, a young WR, depth on the D-line and the O-line, and they got fixated on two positions in this draft, and that is never good--even for a team with the succesful drafting history of the New England Patriots. Ruud is better than a lot of people think, and is fair value here, but he is not going to make the roster the way one of those other position players might have (and maybe that was the plan all along?) Grade: B

This was a Jekyll and Hyde draft for New England. The first half of the draft was very nice. Only one starter in the bunch, but the others (through O'Connell) were definitely possible early contributors. The best part was trading out of the 7th and getting a 2nd next year, and that is no slam at Jerod Mayo. Quite frankly, we like Mayo. After, the selection of Brady's heir apparent, it was a disaster...almost as if (and this seems to have been the trend in recent years) the Pats brass were getting "cute," or just throwing the second half of their draft for hard-to-understand reasons. But hey, until they start losing and Piolo starts missing when it really matters, no one is going to jump on this writer's bandwagon.

Overall Grade: B-