The New England Patriots’ 2016 NFL Draft could have been a lot worse considering the team was stripped of its first round pick due to the “deflategate” sanctions. First round picks are meant to either fill an immediate positional need or use on what is believed to be a franchise altering player regardless of position. Without the flexibility to really do either this year, the Patriots came away with some decent capital in the forms of players and more picks for future drafts. Here we take a look at New England’s 2016 draft class and how each player may contribute.
The Pats made the following picks in the 2016 NFL Draft:
2nd round (60th overall): CB Cyrus Jones (Alabama)
3rd round (78th overall, from Saints): OG Joe Thuney (NC State)
3rd round (91st overall): QB Jacoby Brissett (NC State)
3rd round (96th overall, compensatory): DT Vincent Valentine (Nebraska)
4th round (112th overall, from Saints): WR Malcolm Mitchell (Georgia)
6th round (208th overall, compensatory): OLB Kamu Grugler-Hill (Eastern Illinois)
6th round (214th overall, compensatory): ILB Elandon Roberts (Houston)
6th round (221st overall, compensatory): OG Ted Karras (Illinois)
7th round (225th overall, from Seahawks): WR Devin Lucien (Arizona State)
The Patriots traded their second round pick to the Saints in exchange for New Orleans’ third and fourth round selections.
The Patriots traded their fifth and seventh round pick to the Seahawks in exchange for Seattle’s seventh round pick this year and a fourth round pick in 2017.
Patriots Draft Grade: 7/10
New England Patriots 2016 NFL Draft Review
Best Player: Cyrus Jones (2nd Round, 60th Overall)
The Patriots’ best player in this draft came from their first pick (in the second round). While his size is a bit suspect he has been known to have a strong lower body and is good at pressing receivers. His athleticism is average but his ability to cover and read routes is well documented and he played against the best opposing talent in the country as a member of the Crimson Tide.
What may be his most intriguing ability is playing the ball in the air. Jones converted to corner from receiver and has displayed excellent ability to close in on throws and read the offense. Also, he was a great punt returner for Alabama last year, returning four to the house.
Head Scratcher: Jacoby Brissett (3rd Round, 91st Overall)
Yes, Tom Brady is more than likely serving that four-game suspension he just got slapped with. And yes, that means the Patriots needed to add another quarterback to the roster. However, using a third round pick on a definite third string quarterback after week four is head scratching to say the least. Renting Tarvaris Jackson or Matt Flynn would seem to have made a lot more sense than wasting valuable draft capital.
Bill Belichick sees a lot of things that the average football enthusiast doesn’t, however, it seems he drafted a short term insurance policy with a valuable 3rd round pick. This pick may be foreshadowing a Jimmy Gar0ppolo trade if he plays well enough in weeks 1-4 but it still seems like a reach.
The Surprise: Vincent Valentine (3rd Round, 96th Overall)
The Patriots missed out on signing Akiem Hicks and in a surprise move released Dominique Easley. Even so, the signing of Terrance Knighton and the emerging Malcolm Brown made the defensive tackle position look like an area of strength or at least a manageable aspect of the team. Valentine is an enormous body at 6’4’’ and 329 lbs. However, he has had injury and conditioning concerns to go along with that uninspiring 17 rep bench press at the NFL Combine.
Valentine could be a good fit in the Patriots defensive system and has some serious upside but his draft stock was falling and would have more than likely been available in the fourth round or perhaps later.
The Steal: Malcolm Mitchell (4th Round, 112th Overall)
Malcolm Mitchell was the only pick that should be given an “A” grade for the Patriots 2016 draft. He has average size but is quite simply “good” at everything else: good route runner, good hands, good speed, good quickness, you get the idea. Leave it to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick to find out something he can do great and he could blossom into something special.
His combine measurables were all good and he played at a competitive program at Georgia. He can make an impact in his first season and will be a valuable player for Tom Brady and his successor. He dipped this far in the draft because of an ACL injury sustained at Georgia but he has bounced back very well and should only get stronger in the NFL.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Training Camp: Joe Thuney (3rd Round, 78th Overall)
Joe Thuney has the size, athleticism, and experience to play anywhere on the line. He did exactly that while playing for the NC State Wolfpack. The knock on him is that he will get off balance in his blocks too easily due to his short arms and small hands. However, Belichick likes his ability to line up anywhere on the line and play with moderate success. Not to mention he has arguably the best offensive line coach in the NFL in Dante Scarnecchia. Unfortunately, Thuney will more than likely be turning heads at training camp because the Patriots interior offensive line is very poor.
The Rest:
Sixth round pick Kamu Grugier-Hill is a good addition at a position of need and fits the 3-4 well. He can be a decent pass rusher. 6th round pick Elandon Roberts is another depth addition at a position of need. He is added insurance at ILB and special teams considering the retirement of Jerod Mayo. 6th round pick Ted Karras is yet another late round depth addition for a position of need, that being interior offensive line. 7th round pick Devin Lucien has good size at 6’’2’ and is a good straight line runner. He could be a valuable asset on special teams.
Bottom Line:
This year, the Patriots draft grade gets a perhaps uncharacteristic 7/10. New England made some good value picks and were able to get a legit play maker in the second round with the selection of Cyrus Jones. However, most other selections were average at best and seem more like projects with upside than immediate contributors. The prospective future of this draft class is hard to forecast outside of Jones and Mitchell. The only reason the grade bumps up to a 7 is because of the trades made to secure a full slate of picks for next years’ draft.
