New England Patriots - AFC East, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects
New England Patriots
The Draft Was
... A need filler. The Patriots tend to do things
differently when it comes to the draft, and it's hard to argue
with the overall results, but every pick was a bit of a reach
and they're putting all their linebacking eggs in Jerod Mayo's
basket. Terrence Wheatley could be a bit of a steal in the
second around and Shawn Crable fits the team's defense to a T.
Best Value Pick: Shawn Crable. 3rd Round.
Considering what a weak linebacking class this is, to get a
versatile defender like Crable, even if it was a few picks early,
was a big get. This was the pick the Patriots had to have to
boost the outside. Biggest Reach: Matt Slater, WR UCLA. 5th Round. Is a
fifth round pick worth a flier on a pure special teamer? He's
not a receiver and he's not a defensive back anymore, so if he's
not an elite gunner in coverage, and a good return man, this was
a waste of a decent draft slot. They Should've ... Done something to help the O line. New
England doesn't really believe in investing too heavily in
offensive linemen and has been great at developing players for
their needs, but a bit of a boost to the depth should've been
addressed in the mid-rounds.
#
Pick
10
10
1st Round
(from New Orleans)
Jerod Mayo, OLB/ILB Tennessee
One of the high risers among scouting circles, everyone came
late to the party; this guy was one of the SEC's best players
for a few years even with his knee problems. While he looks more
like a pumped up safety and a thick, blow-'em-up linebacker,
he's a great tackler who can play inside and out in any system.
He makes a lot of mistakes, but they're usually errors coming
from trying too hard. He needs to be on the outside to be a
star, and both will happen. CFN Projection: Second Round CFN Position Rank: 3
31
62
2nd Round
Terrence Wheatley, CB Colorado
While he's not all that big at just 5-9 and 187 pounds, he hits
like a much bigger player and has elite speed. Because of his
size he'll have injury problems, and missed all of 2005 with a
wrist injury, but he's not going to stop hitting and he should
play a role in some was as a nickelback or as a No. 2
cover-corner. As long as he knows what his role is and doesn't
try to be something he's not, he should last in the league a
long time. CFN Projection: Fourth Round CFN
Position Rank: 16
15
78
3rd Round
(from New Orleans)
Shawn Crable, DE/LB Michigan
An ultra-productive linebacker last year with 90 tackles and 7.5
sacks, he's a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end as a pro.
Undersized for a lineman at around 6-5 and 245 pounds, he makes
up for it with tremendous athleticism and good strength for his
size. His money will be made in the weight-room. With room on
his frame for another 15 pounds of muscle, he could bulk up and
grow into a pass rushing end and could become a poor man's
Terrell Suggs. CFN Projection: Fourth Round CFN
Position Rank: 9 (as a DE)
31
94
3rd Round
Kevin O'Connell, QB San Diego State
Here's your deep sleeper with serious upside. Certain to be
there for the taking on the second day he could be the best
bargain in the draft. He has the best combination of size,
mobility and skills of all the prospects and if he's allowed a
little time to develop, and he's allowed to work through his
mistakes, and if he gets a good coach who can shorten up his
delivery to create a tight throwing motion he has the pieces to
be a starter. The problem will be patience. If he's thrown to
the wolves right away, forget about it. It might be a stretch,
but with the right situation he could be a bigger, more mobile
Tony Romo. CFN Projection: Fifth Round CFN Position
Rank: 7
30
129
4th Round
Jonathan Wilhite, CB Auburn
Injuries kept him from having the career he was supposed to. He
struggled with knee and shoulder problems and didn't do enough
when he was healthy. Even though he didn't do enough at Auburn
and even though he's a bit small, he showed great speed in
off-season workouts. On speed alone he's worth a look, but he's
a project. CFN Projection: Seventh Round
CFN Position Rank:25
18
153
5th Round
(from trade) Matt Slater, S/WR UCLA Purely a special teamer, but a special one. While he was a
receiver and defensive back in name, his career quickly changed
after suffering a broken leg and he became a tremendous
playmaker in kick coverage. A luxury pick; there's no reason to
draft him and it's asking a lot to make room on a roster for
him. CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: NR
31
197
6th Round
Bo Ruud, LB Nebraska Don't fall for the family name; he's not Barrett. Bo isn't
nearly as good as his brother, but he's a tweener
with the ability to see time inside and out. He doesn't have the
overall strength to hold off NFL blockers in the running game
and he doesn't have the ability to get into the backfield on a
regular basis. CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: NR
