Which direction would you go.( Pats draft)

[KG Living Legend]

 I really feel like lack of Supreme talent at the skill positions, RB, WR, OLB, DE,

 The Pats have amazing picks 17,28,33,56, Plus two thirds, the top of the 4th round because of the Maroney trade with Denver.

 So what do YOU do, not what will Bill do with these Great picks.

[xmuscularghandix]

Pass rush is the priority.

Everyone is saying that NE needs a wide receiver because nobody could get open against The Jets, but they just got tricked. NY was dropping back into a coverage that got everybody on the wrong page.

I think Ryan Kerrigan out of Purdue could be the guy. Here's some film on him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tgUEH45e30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq_s5OVZD7w

#94. Smart kid that can cover pretty well for a DE/LB, he makes good reads, and he's an above average rusher when you let him pin his ears back. Doesn't have that counter move to make him elite, but The Pats never had that PURE pass rusher who just attacked with spin moves and all that.


(That being said about WR's, i'd really like to see Bill go after Ochocinco. He's the All-Star version of Deion Branch. BTW The Pats HAVE taken a disgruntled Bengal superstar to the Super Bowl before... )

[Rondo9dunx]

Pass rush #1 priority for sure. Secondary, we need a tall defender back there with some speed. Pass rush again. Then maybe if we can somehow get a great offensive lineman that would be nice.

Either way the pats need a legit running back. Get rid of BJGE, Sammy Morris. Keep woodhead but we need a legit, Mojo, Mendenhall, AP type of running back. Tom brady clearly cant do it by himself offensively.

[Cman]

 I really feel like lack of Supreme talent at the skill positions, RB, WR, OLB, DE,

 The Pats have amazing picks 17,28,33,56, Plus two thirds, the top of the 4th round because of the Maroney trade with Denver.

 So what do YOU do, not what will Bill do with these Great picks.

The fourth round pick is their own, not Denvers (which went to Seattle).

I think DL and OL are priorities.  it would be great to get a pass rusher. I think RB is up there, but WR is not.

All that said, I think the Pats are in a position to pretty much pick the best player available at each point in the draft.

[Eja117]

DL is  a major priority.

QB in the late rounds.

Also since Mankins may not be happy and Neal is old and Koppen is getting old and Light is old and since Brady has moved into the Bledsoe era of his scrambling willingness I'd say OL is a major major priority.

And a WR that can get deep and catch the ball. Better than Tate.

[Fafnir]

Offensive and Defensive Line help is probably the biggest need.

I think speed at WR is another key, but I don't think a rookie will help. Better to bring in a FA, even a lower level guy to push Tate.

[KungPoweChicken]

Pick 17: Best DE/pass rusher available

Pick 28: Best OLB available

Pick 33: Best OL available

Pick 56: Best OL available

Free Agency: Sign the best cover corner back available.


That off season would make me very happy (assuming Mankins and Light are re-signed).

A lot of people are talking about the need for a wide receiver, but I'd be more than happy to see if Taylor Price can be that guy, rather than burn a pick on one.

[Eja117]

I don't see lots of need for DBs with young DBs growing up and Bodden coming back as long as they improve the pass rush and nobody gets hurt or arrested or anything

[Chris]

Ultimately, it all depends on who is available when they pick, but I put their biggest needs as:

OL, DL, OLB, WR, RB.  I would hope they would address those positions in the first couple of rounds, but beyond that, I think its tough to speculate not knowing who is on the board.  

[KungPoweChicken]

I don't see lots of need for DBs with young DBs growing up and Bodden coming back as long as they improve the pass rush and nobody gets hurt or arrested or anything

McCourty is great. But the other CB position is question mark. Darius Butler is awful. Arrington struggles on the deep ball. Bodden is decent, but is an injury risk. And no one knows how he will return from the injury.

[Fan from VT]

I agree with most of the sentiment here.

1. DE/OLB. Let Wilfork be Nose Tackle 100% of the time, and find a way to get some pressure with a 3 or 4 (3 DL's + 1 OLB) man rush. That was by far the biggest defensive problem. Even when rushing 4 or 5 the Pats never disrupted the qb's rhythm when it mattered; it was so easy to exploit. So many times you'd see 5 man rush get picked up by the OL and you'd just say "Well, that's it. Someone's open."

2. OL. Even if Mankins/Light return, they still need more solid protection. Especially run blockers. I think that shifty, confusing jets defense would have been easily mitigated by good running in the interior. My observation was confirmed by the job Mendenhall did last night.

3. RB. If available. See #2. I'd like a real dependable guy you could sometimes rely on to get the offense going, not two guys (who I like, by the way, but have faults) who can take advantage of an already clicking passing game.

4. Defensive depth in general. Safey, CB, OLBs.

5. WR. Address this last. I think Price/Edelman/Welker/Branch/Tate will develop ok; just need one of Price/Tate/Edelman to advance to a "keep them honest by running good deep routs" type to help boost the pass game when the short timing stuff isn't there. However, the track record for such players in the draft is real hit or miss. Larry fitzgerald for a pick or two? Dreaming.

[Eja117]

I don't see lots of need for DBs with young DBs growing up and Bodden coming back as long as they improve the pass rush and nobody gets hurt or arrested or anything

McCourty is great. But the other CB position is question mark. Darius Butler is awful. Arrington struggles on the deep ball. Bodden is decent, but is an injury risk. And no one knows how he will return from the injury.

Well I'm definitely ready to give up on that Wheatley guy.  I wouldn't mind drafting a replacement for him later in the draft

[KungPoweChicken]

I don't see lots of need for DBs with young DBs growing up and Bodden coming back as long as they improve the pass rush and nobody gets hurt or arrested or anything

McCourty is great. But the other CB position is question mark. Darius Butler is awful. Arrington struggles on the deep ball. Bodden is decent, but is an injury risk. And no one knows how he will return from the injury.

Well I'm definitely ready to give up on that Wheatley guy.  I wouldn't mind drafting a replacement for him later in the draft

I'm pretty sure they already have given up on Wheatley. I don't believe he is with the team anymore.

[rondo987]

Their top priority should be to draft a top tier quaterback, which will enable them to trade Brady. Clearly, Brady is way past his prime after that performance in the playoffs. The other 16 games in the regular season where he was the MVP was just a fluke. Do you guys think Cam Newton will be available at 17?

[Greenbean]

Pass rush!!!!!!!

It is th only thing that held this defense back this year. It is amazing they forced as many turnovers as they did considering they had trouble pressuring the QB consistently.

We need another Richard Seymour...is there one out there?

Im not sure that a pure pass rusher would fit in this system. That is why Seymour was so valuable. He could stuff the run and get to the QB as a down lineman in the 3-4.

I guess we need to look at OLB next if there is no Seymour available.

Offensively we should keep building and turning over our OL. Left tackle will become a priority sooner rather than later so lets look there.

I dont understand the belief that there is a big need for WR's. They were great all year. The Jets just had a good gameplan. They got to Brady and got him out of rythm early. The Pats also missed a couple of Golden opportunities to get an early lead.

You cant look at one game and asses what is needed. We need to continually build this emerging defense. Great offenses do not win Super Bowls. You need a solid and dependable defense. That is fact.