The NFL Draft is finally over, and now it is time to reflect on how the New England Patriots did with each selection.
One of the most interesting events in all of sports began on April 25. The NFL Draft can make you laugh, cry, and smile. Sometimes all at the same time. The New England Patriots made their selections so let’s break them down.
As ESPN’s Trey Wingo reiterated multiple times throughout the weekends broadcast, the NFL Draft is the most unique event in all of sports. Lives and franchises change with just the call of a cellphone and submission of an index card. Players work tirelessly to hear their name called, and for that, you can’t help but admire their hard work.
The NFL, however, is a business, and just like any other business just because you have exceptional character, doesn’t mean that you will be a great employee. Time and time again, teams overvalue players by picking them much too high, or just taking someone a bit overrated by the media or scouts.
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Bill Belichick is without a doubt a Hall of Fame coach, but in the last five years, he has not been especially impressive in the drafting department. Outside of Jimmy Garappolo and Trey Flowers, no one else drafted during that window has been considered a real star, and neither of them even play for the team anymore.
Of course James White, Brian Stork, and J.C. Jackson are valuable members of the team that have been selected in that time, but not exactly what you might expect from a team that has won two of the last three Super Bowls.
On Thursday the Patriots entered the night with 11 picks, and when it was all said in done made 10 selections. Belichick and crew addressed many of the team’s needs, but was it was the correct players?
I’ll go through every pick and give a grade based on the talent of the player, where he was picked, and the potential he has in the Patriots system.
Here is the entire New England Patriots 2019 Draft class graded.
Pick No. 32- N’Keal Harry (WR) Arizona State. Grade: B
When Goodell first announced the selection of N’Keal Harry, I was ecstatic. For quite a while now I have been critical of the lack of investment the New England Patriots have made in the wide receiver position.
I love Julian Edelman like the rest of Pats nation, however, it is clear he has limitations. Due to Josh Gordon’s off the field issues and Chris Hogan’s departure, the WR room was looking as thin as ever. Snagging a WR was necessary, so for that, you have to credit the team for filling a need.
I had around 1 grade on Harry prior to the draft, and he was tied with D.K. Metcalf for my WR3 behind A.J. Brown and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown respectively.
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The small issue I now have with the pick is that it was clear throughout the rest of the draft that teams were not putting a premium on WR’s. Hollywood went 25th to the Ravens but after Harry, only two receivers were selected in the next 24 picks where one of the original New England Patriots second-round picks resided at No.56.
The New England Patriots realistically could have taken a higher rated corner than Joejuan Williams (their next selection) such as Byron Murphy, moved up a few spots from pick 56 to select A.J. Brown, and realistically keep their other second-round pick at 64 or again trade it to Seattle. It feels as though they did not maximize the best potential draft picks they had.
Harry is excellent due to his size and stature and catches balls like has glue for hands. His route running is superb, and he can overpower smaller defensive backs at the line.
The main issue he faced while time as a Sun Devil was creating separation. I do like his game, but probably not enough to take him when we selected him. I don’t think it is a terrible reach, so B is sufficient.
Pick No. 45- Joejuan Williams (CB) Vanderbilt. Grade B-
This is another pick that I think is being reacted to a little bit overzealously by Pats nation.
Joejuan Williams is a very good cornerback. There is no denying that Williams has all the measurables to succeed in the NFL. At 6’4″ and weighing over 210 lbs, Williams is bigger than most at the CB position and is extremely physical at the point of attack.
The New England Patriots definitely needed some help on the back end of their defense, as Stephon Gilmore was the only healthy and consistent member of the group for much of 2018. J.C. Jackson really blossomed at points in the season, but another presence was still needed for sure.
Joejuan is extremely inconsistent though. He got burned by hesitation time and time again and will make a great play which will be followed up by an awful one.
The potential is there to be a real lockdown physical corner, but the game is moving more to speedy receivers and pushing the ball downfield. Williams doesn’t possess a whole lot of speed which could hurt him greatly at the next level.
I would have preferred Greedy Williams or Byron Murphy, and since we traded up for Williams it makes the pick a little more sour for me. He has amazing character and fits well, but I feel as though he wasn’t the best option there.
Pick No. 77- Chase Winovich (DE) Michigan. Draft Grade: A
This was my favorite pick of the draft for us. Being that Michigan games are usually on in a prominent time slot on national broadcasts, I got a chance to watch many Wolverine games. On the defensive side of the football beside Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick Devin Bush, the other player constantly getting his name called by the announcers was Chase Winovich.
Chase is the typical late round slide because he doesn’t have incredible measurables, but that fails to show how productive he was.
Last year in the Big Ten which is filled with elite offensive lines, Winovich was able to record 5 sacks to go along with 15.5 tackles for a loss. His stats don’t really do him justice, as he constantly got pressure on the QB and was able to blow up plays before they started.
He has great pass rush ability and actually recorded a faster 40 time at the combine than Williams. With the loss of Trey Flowers, the Patriots desperately needed to get a good pass rusher.
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At pick 77 not only is Winovich an incredible value but someone that can play day 1 and make a serious impact. This was a fantastic pick.
Pick No. 87- Damien Harris (RB) Alabama. Draft Grade: C-
The first thing I have to say about this pick, is why? This simply does not make any sense.
The 3rd round is usually filled with guys who are top tier talents that either may lack some consistency, lack some part of their game, or have some personal concerns.
Guys such as T.Y. Hilton, Russel Wilson, and Alvin Kamara are all 3rd round picks and seem to do pretty well for themselves. The point is, this is not a round to really draft players at positions you have completely locked up.
The New England Patriots have Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead, and Brandon Bolden all under contract. I’ve spoken at length about how great Sony Michel is as just a pure runner, and then White is, of course, the pass-catching back. Burkhead is a good mix of both as a backup, and Bolden is a great option if he needs to get a few touches. There is no reason to further crowd the backfield.
Running backs often attribute how touches get them in rhythm and make them perform better. Crowding up the backfield like this does nothing but hurt everyone else as a result.
Harris is a solid running back, but doesn’t offer breakaway speed and is a bit of a “bowling ball” type of back. It is important to note, that Harris lost the majority of touches at Bama to first-round Raider draft selection Josh Jacobs.
Drafting a running back with a limited ceiling in the 3rd round, when the last thing you need is another one is just very head-scratching. Bad pick.
Pick No. 101- Yodny Cajuste (OT) West Virginia. Draft Grade: A-
Yodney Cajuste is a great value pick here at the tail end of the first round. He is extremely strong, as he was able to do 32 reps on the bench press at the combine.
I wouldn’t say he is a complete package as of yet, but that is alright. He has all the tools to develop into a very solid tackle.
With Trent Brown heading to the Bay, the New England Patriots are in a bit of an odd spot at tackle. Cajuste needs some harvesting, and with Dante Scarnecchia giving him help, I am fairly confident he can put it all together. He isn’t always consistent, and can sometimes get beat inside, but overall he had a great career at West Virginia.
To get a starting caliber player this late in the draft is always welcome, so I love this pick all around.
Pick No. 118- Hjalte Froholdt (OG) Arkansas. Draft Grade: A
The Hjalte Froholdt selection was a bit of a surprise pick, but one I absolutely loved. Shaq Mason is an excellent guard at times, but can be a bit inconsistent and has dealt with injury. Froholdt could ultimately be a long term replacement there. It is good to note that on the official New England Patriots website they listed Froholdt as the fourth string right tackle.
Froholdt is an all-around excellent guard and is excellent in pass coverage. Froholdt allowed a pressure on just 1.2 percent of rushes, was good for fourth out of every draft-eligible guard according to Pro Football Focus.
Froholdt is a great player to stash away right now, and one that could for sure excel in the future. Very good pick.
Pick No. 133- Jarrett Stidham (QB) Auburn. Draft Grade: C-
This is another pick that left me quite confused. Of all the QB’s available in the back end of this draft, Bill Belichick decided to go with Auburn project Jarret Stidham. I want to be excited about this pick, but I can’t.
Before the draft, I watched an extensive amount film on all the drafts QB’s, and Stidham was my 11th ranked QB on the board. Going into the season, I was high on Stidham for sure. He showed a lot of potential in his Junior season, and I was excited to see how that would translate to his senior campaign. It’s safe to say that it didn’t.
Stidham was simply all over the place with some of his ball placement. He didn’t scan the field particularly well and looked reckless at times despite just throwing 5 interceptions.
I’ve heard a lot of slander on Gus Malzone’s system being the reason Stidham didn’t succeed, but I scoff at that notion. Guys like Nick Marshall were able to look like superstars in the system, so just because it wasn’t a perfect scheme fit, didn’t mean it should have excused his mediocre play.
Brett Rypien and Easton Stick were on the board still, and I have much more faith in them. Stidham may have good arm talent but has little real starter potential. This is just as good as Ryan Mallett being the backup, someone young that you know will never actually be good enough to be Brady’s successor.
Byron Cowart (DT) Maryland. Draft Grade: A-
Cowart entered the college scene as a 5-star recruit and the number one overall recruit. Of course, it didn’t work out in college, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have great tools to put it together at the next level.
He is the perfect size for the NFL, and at the combine measured with massive 34-inch arms. He is a solid bull rusher and never gives up on a play. Cowart has a really good upside.
Without question, this pick could be one of Bill’s diamond in the roughs before it is all said and done. At this time in the draft, you can’t help but love this kind of potential. Very solid pick.
New England Patriots
Jake Bailey (P) Stanford. Draft Grade: D
Trading up for a punter in the fifth round. This directly comes after Ryan Allen had an excellent season. There is no defending this and nothing more I can say about it. Incomprehensible.
Ken Webster (CB) Ole Miss. Draft Grade: B+
Webster played corner in college, but I think he could be a good hybrid safety or special teams ace at the next level. Webster ran a 4.43 at the combine in the 40, he was just extremely physical with receivers, which is something you always like to see. He also was a great tackler, so as I mentioned could be useful on kickoff.
Outside of that, Webster is very raw. He really isn’t that great in coverage, and after his injury in 2016 has clearly lost some of his ability. For a 7th round selection, he offers good upside, so I can’t hate on it at all. Good pick here.
Overall Draft Grade: B
I don’t hate this draft for the New England Patriots, but I can’t help but think they didn’t maximize the potential their insane draft capital could have allowed. The Winovich and lineman picks were amazing, but the Stidham, Jacobs, and Bailey picks left me scratching my head.
The players themselves, for the most part, offer solid talent, but I don’t know how many of them will truly make any kind of early impact outside of Harry and Winovich. Hopefully, I end up on “Freezing Cold Takes” for this one, but I simply believe this wasn’t as good of a draft for the Patriots as everyone is making it out to seem.