Patriots Draft & NFL Random Thoughts

After three days of Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay, I have to admit that I am feeling very good about the players selected by the Patriots. There is still a bitter taste in my mouth over not taking Dez Bryant in the first round but the entire body of work submitted by Bill Belichick and his staff has me looking confidently at the 2010 season. Here is a breakdown of the top seven picks: Round 1, Pick 27: Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers Hearing McCourty's name was a surprise but everything that I have heard or read about him make me believe he will be a good fit in Belichick's defense. McCourty is a physical corner who also excels on special teams. He should team nicely with Darius Butler and Leigh Bodden to strengthen the team's pass coverage. Round 2, Pick 42: Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona Gronkowski is a bit of an injury risk after missing the 2009 season with a back injury but he passed his physicals so he should be ready to go when camp opens in July. He is a big (6-6. 260) target for Tom Brady who should also be able to help the running game with his blocking. Round 2, Pick 53: Jermaine Cunningham, DE/OLB, Florida Cunningham was the first of three Gators taken by the Patriots. He was not as hyped as his fellow Florida sack-machine Carlos Dunlap but Cunningham did produce 7 sacks as a senior. At 6-4 and 260-pounds, he has the size Belichick loves in his outside linebackers. Round 2, Pick 62: Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida In my opinion, Spikes was the best player the Patriots landed in the draft. There are questions about his athleticism and speed but I will trust his production at Florida, where he led one of the top defenses in the nation the last three years. Round 3, Pick 90: Taylor Price, WR, Ohio Even with Randy Moss and the newly signed Torry Holt, the Patriots have questions at receiver going into 2010 because of Wes Welker's knee injury. Price adds depth and "home run" ability on the edge. He should compete with Julian Edelman and Brandon Tate for snaps. Round 4, Pick 113: Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida Hernandez, a native of Connecticut, was projected to be a late first round pick by some of the "experts" so landing him this late is a steal for the Pats. Hernandez could - and I stress could - evolve into New England's version of Dallas Clark. Round 5, Pick 150: Zoltan Mesko, P, Michigan Mesko has the size of a tight end (6-4, 240) and provides the Pats with their best option in the punting department with Chris Hansen still unsigned. After Mesko, the Patriots drafted center Ted Larsen out of N.C. State in the sixth round and took Vanderbilt tackle Thomas Welch, Alabama defensive end Brandon Deaderick, Georgia defensive tackle Kade Weston, and Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson in the seventh round. If even one of these players makes a positive impact next year, the late rounds will be considered a smashing success. It looks like Belichick landed at least five players (McCourty, Gronkowski, Cunningham, Spikes, Hernandez) who will be able to play immediately and another (Price) who could make Tom Brady's job a lot easier. Of course, a draft can not be truly analyzed until the new guys put on the pads and play some meaningful football. Check back in January to know if this draft was an immediate success and then again in three years to see who still is wearing the Flying Elvis on their helmet to know if it was a lasting success. *** In other Patriots news, the team has signed defensive lineman Gerard Warren and released linebacker Adalius Thomas. Warren, the third overall pick in the 2001 draft, has been a solid player with the Browns, Broncos, and Raiders and adds much needed veteran depth to the defensive line. Thomas was the biggest free agent signing by the team back in 2007 and nearly helped the team win a Super Bowl before falling out of favor with Belichick. Look for him to land with Rex Ryan and the Jets. *** On Thursday night I wrote that Coly McCoy would be one of the two best quarterbacks drafted (along with Tim Tebow) and that he would land in Cleveland. In that same blurb, I preicted that current ESPN analyst Jon Gruden would be McCoy's coach with the Browns. So far I am 1-for-3 in that prediction. And in his "Monday Morning Quarterback" column today, Peter King of Sports Illustrated wrote that Cleveland's team president Mike Holmgren said he drafted McCoy partly on the recommendation of Gruden. Don't be shocked when "Chucky" replaces Eric Mangini in nine months. All I need now is for McCoy to win a couple of Super Bowls in Cleveland to go 3-for-3. *** ESPN runs a pretty successful network but here is one piece of advice I hope they listen to. It is time to bid farwell to Chris Berman and bounce his sidekick Tom Jackson as well. Berman is a legend in the business but he no longer follows the game like he once did and he offers no insight on the draft coverage. Jackson is a buffoon who should have lost his job back in 2003 when he stated emphatically that Bill Belichick had no support in his lockerroom following the release of popular safety Lawyer Milloy and that the Patriot players "hated their coach." There is also no need for Steve Young on the draft coverage. I loved him as a player and respect his analysis of NFL players but I don't want to listen to his opinions on college players of who he has little knowledge. Build the draft coverage around McShay and Kiper with Mike Tirico as host. I would love to see another year of Gruden too but as I wrote earlier, he will be preparing to draft players for the Cleveland Browns in 12 months.