How New England Patriots muffed on Day 2 NFL Draft selections

The New England Patriots conducted their Day 2 draft but came away with a lower grade than Day 1 due to positions selected rather than the players chosen. Let’s take a look.

First, The Patriots traded up to land a very solid player, Christian Barmore, a big defensive tackle from, yes, Alabama once more. He’s a very good player yet there’s an issue in that trade-up.

First, the Patriots gave up a lot to move up a mere eight spots in the round from pick No. 46 to pick No. 38 to get Barmore.

That was represented in two fourth-round picks, the 122nd and 139th picks out-the-door plus their own No. 46 in the second round.

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That’s too much value to spend on moving up eight picks. Those picks could have been well-used on Day three to further bolster weaker positions on the team.

Second, and most importantly, Barmore is a defensive tackle, a position the Patriots went hard and heavy on in free agency to shore up. The position was not a pressing need.

Surely owner Bob Kraft must have been scratching his head in seeing that position being addressed so early and at such a cost.

The Patriots had already added several players to their defensive interior in free agency and spent a good amount of Kraft’s money in the process.

First, they resigned Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise, Jr. Then they went outside the fold for three additional players.

They are Davon Godchaux, Henry Anderson, and Montravius Adams. The question has to be legitimately asked, why? They had no pressing need at defensive tackle and their draft record there has been poor to be kind.

The easy answer presumably is he is a top player and the “value” there was thought too high to pass up.

Sorry, they didn’t pass up, they traded up and gave up valuable additional picks in the process. Not a great move, positionally at all.

It has been noted that the Patriot’s second most important position to fill is offensive line and specifically offensive left tackle where they are precariously thin.

Excellent offensive tackle options were available to the Patriots even at pick no. 46 had they stayed put.

They were Jackson Carman, Clemson; Samuel Cosmi, Texas; and Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State. Any of these at No. 46 would have been really solid choices. It was a bad trade-up.

Kraft must have been a bit miffed there, but, at least, the Barmore pick was not a foolish reach type Patriots pick as in the past on second-rounders. He’s legit. This softens the blow somewhat.

New England Patriots Third-round pick and grade

In the third round, the Patriots again went for a position of lesser need than the offensive line (including guard) and other positions like a big running back.

They selected Ronnie Perkins an edge player from Oklahoma. Again, Jenkins is a solid player and he was no foolish reach at all. He was drafted right about where he should have been.

An off-field concern resulting in a suspension is of note. But here again, the Patriots have players on board now at the position and also added a couple in free agency at big money cost.

One is Matt Judon from Baltimore. They also are getting back hybrid great Dont’a Hightower, re-signed Kyle Van Noy, and have last year’s high picks Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings.

Chase Winovich is also there to play an edge role. Again, no pressing need higher up in the draft at all. Drafting a guard or a big back was the right move there and they flubbed it.

So in assigning the grade, there is some ambivalence. It’s not really clear-cut. On the plus side, they added talented players, not the usual Patriots reaches.

On the negative side, they failed to address the offensive line and/or big running back and threw away two fourth-round picks in the process. Remember Trey Flowers was a fourth-rounder.

So, as this writer felt about the Jimmy Garoppolo back in the day, I liked the player(s) but not the picks.

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They could have, should have done much better, and sending away the two fourth-round picks reduced the opportunity to fill other positions of more urgent need on Day 3.

It was a serious opportunity to really knock this draft out of the park. They muffed it. That sentiment leads to a grade of C+/B- on Day two. Not bad, but could have been much better.

That’s too bad. A great opportunity that could have/should have been was lost.

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