New England Patriots 2020 Draft: Grading another disappointing draft

The New England Patriots blew it by going defense on their top picks

The  New England Patriots after a nice trade down in the first round had my expectations high. It was delusional on my part. With their first pick that 37th pick in the draft in the second round, they chose … a defensive back. A safety from Lenoir-Rhyne College. (Note: their stadium seat about 7,500 fans, smaller than many high schools, I’m sure.)

Kyle Dugger is his name.

Dugger is an athletically gifted small college player who really may have has some potential and upside. So what’s wrong with that? For one thing, he’s a defensive back which is not a pressing need on the 2020 version of the New England Patriots. And, in addition, he’s a defensive back in the second round.

Dugger actually may prove to be pretty good. But again, that’s not the point here. The Patriots did not have a pressing need at safety, the age of some and the loss of Duron Harmon notwithstanding. It just wasn’t a pressing need that had to be addressed with your first pick in the entire draft.

Dugger won’t start either. The Patriots prioritized this pick on whatever basis they make picks (I have not idea, probably the “we’re smarter than you are” philosophy.). Clearly here, it was not based on a major team need.

An article outlines just how poorly the Patriots track record under Bill Belichick has been drafting defensive backs in the second round. Their second-round defensive back choices have generally been atrocious. Eugene Wilson, Duke Dawson, Terrence Wheatley, Darius Butler and Jordan Richards. Sound familiar? Hope Dugger isn’t another one of those.

So, your highest pick the one which could have netted Jalen Hurts or another top offensive skill player is used on a player who won’t start and plays a position that is not one of critical need. And, again, he won’t start for New England either. The point is, they had other more pressing needs that were ignored completely in their first 5 picks. On offense! They blew the opportunity to fill them right then and there. Maybe a decent player, but a lousy pick.

In their second-round pick secured by yet another trade, they selected a decent linebacker, Josh Uche from Michigan. Uche is an outside linebacker, OK, but he’s undersized and while he’s been compared to Tedy Bruschi by some, I’ll believe that when I see it. He may be a pretty good player.

But, again, while the Patriots lost linebackers and edge players to free agency, this was NOT a position that had to be addressed so early in the draft. The middle rounds and later should have been the places. Not a second-round pick for which you had to again trade up and waste valuable draft capital in the process.

This was neither a cost-effective nor a well-placed pick. Whether or not Uche is a pretty good player is not the point here. Uche likely won’t start and he certainly won’t help their offense be better.

Then in the third round, the Patriots selected yet another linebacker/edge, Anfernee Jennings from Alabama. Third round. Decent player. I had suggested him myself as a possibility. But not in the third round.

It was another reach by the New England Patriots. And again, Jennings may be a pretty good player but he is unlikely to start for New England, and he’s not an offensive player.

So there you have the Patriots top three picks, none of which address their most glaring need, their terrible offense. And none of the three players selected are difference-makers who can win a game for you by themselves. Won’t happen. At least it’s not likely.