The Patriots took a receiver with their last pick. Jeremy Ebert out of Northwestern. He caught 75 passes his senior season, for 1,065 yards and 11 touchdowns. That's nothing to dismiss lightly. He might have trouble finding a roster spot considering how many people are vying for a spot on the WR list.
He's 5' 11" and 200 pounds, but this guy might just find his way on the roster in September.
I definitely give this pick two thumbs up (get it? because his name is Ebert). As I give to the whole draft. Exciting playmakers in the first round, a guy who seems like a reliable defensive back in the 2nd, an All-SEC pass rusher in the 3rd, then it got weird. A rugby player in the 6th, an alleged criminal in the 7th, then a guy with great numbers to end the 7th.
It's always tough to gauge the success of a draft before any of these players even get numbers assigned to them, let alone take the field, let alone play a game. But I think the Patriots have drastically improved the potential quality of their defense. And if just one or two of these guys work out, the Patriots' defensive unit will be much better in 2012.
The Patriots drafted a project/accused criminal in the 7th round. Alfonzo Dennard has ridiculous talent, and was a shutdown corner in the Big Ten for Nebraska. But he ended his senior season with an ejection in the CapitalOne Bowl.
Then he had a disappointing combine.
Oh, and he was in jail as recently as last Monday for resisting being placed in custody and assaulting a police officer. The story is that he was being belligerent outside a bar, was asked twice by police to leave the area, and was later seen pushing and punching another person in the same area. Police tried to put him in custody, he resisted, more pushing and punching with the cops, and hence the arrest.
This is a first round talent taken in the 7th round. This guy might sound like a bit of a loser, but the Patriots can't lose on this pick.
I have no idea how well Belichick and the locker room leaders will do to help Dennard to get his act together. But if he doesn't, he won't get 3 chances like he did with the cops in Lincoln. He'll get 1.
In the entire NFL Draft, Dennard might have the biggest gap between his potential upside and his potential downside. He's talented enough to be in the Pro Bowl. He's also capable of winding up in prison. Belichick is probably thrilled with this pick. And so is whoever coaches football at the Correctional Institution in Walpole.
The Patriots didn't have any 4th or 5th round picks. In the 6th, they took Nate Ebner, who didn't even play football in high school. He played rugby. And he walked on to the Ohio State football team and became a special teams specialist. He was drafted as a safety but only played three snaps at that position his senior year.
Ebner's true position is a special teams psycho. He claims to enjoy the "mayhem" of kickoff coverage most of all.
Rugby players are crazy.
In the 6th round, the odds are slim of drafting a guy who will make an impact in one of the 22 regular positions. So why not draft an insane rugby player and put him on special teams? You're much more likely to get a positive contribution from him than from a 6th round RB or offensive tackle.
And maybe if the Dolphins try to get clever with some sort of Wildcat 2.0 formation, or if the Jets use Tebow in the option, Ebner can use his rugby experience to counter that. Especially the option, which is very similar to rugby plays.
In the 3rd round, the Patriots took Jake Bequette, a defensive end from Arkansas. The all SEC pass rusher recorded 10 sacks his senior season. He's 6' 5" 271 pounds and can play as an OLB or a DE.
He missed 3 games because of a hamstring issue. And the word is he's not that great as an edge rusher. But I'll take an All-SEC defensive end with the 90th overall pick. That's fine. He seems like he has tremendous upside. And even if he doesn't fully reach that level, his versatility will help him find a role on the team.
Bequette finished his college career with 23 sacks, among the all-time leaders at Arkansas. He won the Defensive MVP award at the Cotton Bowl. And he knows what it's like to win. The Razorbacks have won 29 games the last 3 seasons.
I think this is a really good pick at 90th overall.
The Patriots selected 7 players in the 2012 NFL Draft. And 6 of them play on the defensive side of the ball. Two linemen, a linebacker, and three defensive backs. Although one of those DBs is essentially a pure special teamer.
We know about Jones and Hightower. The fanbase seems pleased with that. But I'm sure they'll find something to bitch and moan about once Training Camp starts.
In the 2nd round, the Patriots drafted Tavon Wilson. Which shocked the experts who projected Wilson to go in the 6th or 7th round, if at all. Certainly not with the 48th overall pick in the draft. He wasn't even invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
Wilson is strong and versatile. He's 6' 0" and 205 pounds. He started three years at Illinois and switched between safety and cornerback. He also plays special teams. The more you learn about him, the more he seems like the type of guy the Patriots want and need.
Last season, the Patriots' defensive backfield was a hodgepodge, to put it politely. The 8-15 yard curl in the flat was open on every down. The Pats' secondary focused on not allowing 40 yard TD passes, and didn't even bother to cover huge swaths of territory underneath that.
They need versatility. They need reliability. Wilson is not a shutdown corner. That type of guy would be great, but I don't know if that would be enough to solve the Patriots' problems. Huge holes in the zone would still be there.
Wilson seems like a smart player. One that's easy to coach. The Pats' DBs last season were not very savvy. The defense had to be simplified to suit their talents and their awareness.
This guy will find his way onto the field. He'll play special teams, obviously, and the Pats' DB depth chart presents an opportunity for any young player to work his way to a starting role.
Yesterday I wrote a lengthy preemptive explanation of how the Patriots draft. I was expecting the fans of New England to be pissed today, as they usually are the day after the Patriots' activities in the first round.
Instead, the fans are happy. I'm happy. And I think that the Mayan end-of-the-world prophecy is happy too.
When Roger Goodell announced that the Patriots had made a move up in the draft, he might as well have been opening the Fifth Seal of the Apocalypse.
The Pats sent their 27th overall pick, along with their 3rd round pick (93rd overall) to the Bengals for the 21st pick. And they selected DE Chandler Jones from Syracuse.
Jones is a big man (6' 5" and 265 pounds) that has a big frame he can grow into. He only played 7 games of his junior year due to a knee injury in the middle of the season. But he totaled 4.5 sacks, 38 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception. Which he returned for 32 yards.
He's an edge rusher. And if he lives up to his potential, the combination of him and Vince Wilfork could present opposing offensive lines with serious problems.
Minutes later, as the First Round zoomed by, the Patriots did it again. They made a deal with Denver, sending their 31st overall pick, along with their 4th rounder (126th overall) in exchange for the 25th pick.
With that, they drafted Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower.
Hightower is another large man. 6' 2" and 265. He can do just about everything that a linebacker could do. He can play in all defensive situations. That's something that Bill Belichick covets. And so does Nick Saban. Belichick loves drafting Saban coached players.
With Hightower's flexibility, he'll find a place in the Pats' LB corps. Which was already kind of good, if a little bit dull. Mayo is solid. Spikes showed some sparks last season.
The Pats like to mix up defensive formations, especially up front. Hightower's versatility enhances the Pats' ability to do that.
I'm not a huge fan of trading up. But the Patriots didn't give up much to move ahead. As Belichick noted in his post-draft press conference, they didn't give up any of their 2nd round picks to do so.
And I think these two particular players struck them as good fits. They didn't just get a pass rusher and a linebacker, they got two guys that they feel will excel in Foxborough.
So enjoy it, Pats fans. The Patriots did what you wanted.
