NE Patriots 2020 Draft Thread

[BigKen]

Trying to nail any pick is crazy, so I'll just fill in who I hope BB picks for the remainder of the draft.

5th-159 Reaquan Williams DT 6'4" 308 Mich. St
6th-195 Trey Adams OT 6'8" 318 Washington
6th-204 Binjimin Victor WR Ohio St 6'4" 200
6th-212 Ben DiNucci QB James Madison 6'3" 220
6th-213 Johnathan Garvin DE Miami 6'4" 265
7th-230 Bronson Rechsteiner FB 6'0" 235

 

[BigKen]

With pick #159 the NE Patriots select:

Justin Rohrwasser K Marshall

BB must like this kid because he's ranked #12 among kickers.

He's big, 6'3" 234

Maybe he's another Ghostkowski who we never heard of when he was drafted.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

I don’t mind going kicker in the fifth but this was a pretty good kicker group and taking the first one when Fromm Nick Harris and Tyler Johnson were still on the board seems a little dubious

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

Another trade up and another Michigan guy. G Michael Onwenu

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

Trade terms:

Patriots receive: 182

Colts receive: 212 and 213

 

[Southieinnc]

"man-mountain Onwenu not getting a lot of love.

Big, strong dude. An anchor on the line.
Not athletic but if you are going to run around him, it's a long ways around.
Longest arms of all the draft guards.
The top rated Michigan offensive player according to PFF

 

[BigKen]

Mike Reiss
Round 2, No. 37 overall: Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne

My take: This pick is going to be tough for Patriots fans to digest, given some of the struggles Bill Belichick has had with defensive backs in the second round, a group including CB Terrence Wheatley (2008), CB Darius Butler (2009), CB Ras-I Dowling (2011), S Tavon Wilson (2012), S Jordan Richards (2015), CB Cyrus Jones (2016) and CB Duke Dawson (2018).

But in fairness to Dugger, who is a great story of overcoming long odds to become a high draft pick out of Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, he should be judged on his own merits. At just shy of 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds, he is a box safety and linebacker type in the mold of Patrick Chung, who fills a valuable role on the Patriots' defense. With Chung closer to the end of his career, Dugger is a potential future replacement and should be an immediate contributor on special teams.

In the AFC, facing athletic quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson means the Patriots will be in sub packages and looking for defenders who run well. Dugger (4.47 time in the 40) fits the profile of defenders who will be tapped in those types of game plans.

Round 2, No. 60 overall: Josh Uche, DE, Michigan

My take: At 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds, Uche is an interesting prospect who fits a similar profile to that of Tedy Bruschi coming out of the University of Arizona in 1996. Like Bruschi in college, Uche gets after the quarterback with hard-to-miss athleticism (16.5 career sacks), but his size makes him a challenging projection for full-time work on the edge of an NFL defense.

That's why he could make a move like Bruschi's to more off-the-line linebacker duties. That's a spot where the Patriots are thin after losing Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts in free agency. They have Dont'a Hightower, Ja'Whaun Bentley and Terez Hall on the depth chart. Uche also projects to help on special teams, as he runs well for a player his size (4.75 time in the 40). One area of note is Uche's lack of playing time in college: He was used sparingly on defense his first three seasons before he played about half of Michigan's defensive snaps last season.

Round 3, No. 87 overall: Anfernee Jennings, OLB, Alabama

My take: The 6-foot-2, 256-pound Jennings is a physical, edge-setting outside linebacker who played under coach Nick Saban, which means this pick likely comes with a strong recommendation from someone Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he respects as much as anyone in football.

Whereas New England's Chase Winovich is a more sudden player at the position, Jennings plays a more rugged style, and his long arms help create some disruptive plays (20 pass breakups). He was viewed as a tough, durable player at Alabama, and he might have some position flexibility to factor as a downhill blitzer similar to Elandon Roberts in recent years. The OLB position had quantity entering the draft, with John Simon, Winovich, Derek Rivers, Shilique Calhoun, Brandon Copeland, Keionta Davis and Tashawn Bower on the depth chart. Jennings should also factor into the special-teams mix.

Round 3, No. 91 overall: Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA

My take: Tight end was one of the top needs for the Patriots entering the draft, and though scouts didn't view this as a great overall class, it's clear that the Patriots had Asiasi as one of their targets because he was only the second tight end selected in the draft. The Patriots traded third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks to move up 10 spots to select him (while acquiring a fifth-rounder in the deal). Asiasi is 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds, and while he runs well (4.73 in the 40), he has the frame to be a factor as an inline blocker. He also should factor into the special-teams mix. Because Asiasi was a one-year starter in college (44 catches, 641 yards, 14.6 avg. last season), his fit in the NFL is more of a projection than that of some others with more experience.

Round 3, No. 101 overall: Dalton Keene, TE, Virginia Tech
My take: Just 10 picks after selecting Asiasi, the Patriots double-dipped at the position by trading back into the third round for the 6-foot-4, 253-pound Keene. A former running back, Keene showed a knack for making plays after the catch and was durable, appearing in 38 career games and aligning in various spots. It was clear that the Patriots had to add to their tight end position entering the draft, as they had only Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo on the depth chart, and they quickly doubled their personnel -- and gave up volume in draft capital to do so. It was an aggressive finish to the second day of the draft.

Round 5, No. 159 overall: Justin Rohrwasser, K, Marshall
My take: The Patriots didn't have a kicker on the roster after releasing all-time leading scorer Stephen Gostkowski in March, so it was expected they would select one. This is a reflection that Rohrwasser is the top-rated option on their board because he was the first kicker selected in the overall draft. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Rohrwasser began his college career at the University of Rhode Island before transferring to Marshall; the New York native has experience kicking in challenging conditions, and was 18-of-21 on field goals in his final college season. This spot in the draft is consistent with where the Patriots have invested in specialists in Bill Belichick's tenure -- Gostkowski was a fourth-rounder in 2006, perennial Pro Bowler coverage player Matthew Slater was a fifth-rounder in 2008, as were punters Zoltan Mesko (2010) and Jake Bailey (2019), and long snapper Joe Cardona (2015).

Round 6, No. 182 overall: Michael Onwenu, G, Michigan
My take: Known for his power, the 6-foot-2, 344-pound Onwenu doesn't fit the physical prototype of offensive linemen the Patriots have generally targeted (lighter and more athletic). But at this point in the draft, teams often focus on one standout trait and Onwenu's physical makeup and power had to be appealing to them. There simply aren't many people with that type of frame, so the idea would be to work with him in hopes of harnessing those special traits. The Patriots have Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason as their starting guards, with 2019 fourth-round pick Hjalte Froholdt set to return after spending his rookie season on IR. Jermaine Eluemunor and Najee Toran round out the depth chart.

Round 6, No. 195 overall: Justin Herron, OT, Wake Forest
Wake Forest offensive lineman Justin Herron adds depth for the Patriots. Photo by Daniel Kucin Jr./Icon Sportswire
My take: Bill Belichick has often said offensive tackle is a tough position to get caught short personnel-wise, simply because the supply usually doesn't meet the demand. So it never hurts to add to the pipeline. The 6-foot-5, 308-pound Herron has 33.5-inch arm length, which is one notable physical trait to work with. He's also played a lot of football, as he set the Wake Forest record with 51 games started, capping off his career in 2019 as a team captain while he was in graduate school. He joins an offensive tackle depth chart that is headlined by starters Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon, and also includes Yodny Cajuste and Korey Cunningham.

 

[Upinthe North]

Trying to nail any pick is crazy, so I'll just fill in who I hope BB picks for the remainder of the draft.

5th-159 Reaquan Williams DT 6'4" 308 Mich. St
6th-195 Trey Adams OT 6'8" 318 Washington
6th-204 Binjimin Victor WR Ohio St 6'4" 200
6th-212 Ben DiNucci QB James Madison 6'3" 220
6th-213 Johnathan Garvin DE Miami 6'4" 265
7th-230 Bronson Rechsteiner FB 6'0" 235

BB throwing us some curveballs today! I'm not unimpressed with our picks, but maybe with a couple of our questionable trades.

Also thank you BK for doing all the work of typing out our selections and some details on each player.

 

[BigKen]

2020 NFL Draft Pick slots:
#23, 1st round - Traded to Los Angeles Chargers
#37, 2nd round - Kyle Dugger, Safety, Lenoir-Rhyne
#60, 2nd round - Josh Uche, OLB, Michigan
#71, 3rd round - Traded to Baltimore Ravens
#87, 3rd round - Anfernee Jennings, OLB, Alabama
#91, 3rd round - Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA
#98, 3rd round - Traded to Baltimore Ravens
#100, 3rd round - Traded to Las Vegas Raiders
#101, 3rd round - Dalton Keene, TE, Virginia Tech
#125, 4th round - Traded to the New York Jets
#129, 4th round - Traded to the New York Jets
#139, 4th round - Traded to Las Vegas Raiders
#159, 5th round - Justin Rohrwasser, K, Marshall
#172, 5th round - Traded to Las Vegas Raiders
#182, 6th round - Michael Onwenu, G, Michigan
#195, 6th round - Justin Herron, G, Wake Forest
#204, 6th round - Cassh Maluia, ILB, Wyoming
#212, 6th round - Traded to Indianapolis Colts
#213, 6th round - Traded to Indianapolis Colts
#230, 7th round - Dustin Woodward, C, Memphis

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

I think we can all agree the real rising star out if this draft is Nike the dog

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Though there wasn't any names I thought got selected, I was pretty close on positional picks.

Glad we didn't go after a QB. Saw so many mocks where they said QB is a need.

Bill really enjoys thinking/being the smartest guy in the room doesn't he?

What's up with all the trades and selecting no names from schools many of us never heard of.

Overall a B- based solely on filling needs. MTF in 2022

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

 

[cheerupcharlie]

Rohrwasser hitting from over 60 at his pro day (NESN) : Patriots

 

[YankeeRebel]

I do not understand taking a kicker where we did, I do not understand not drafting a QB, I do not understand not drafting a WR. It was nice to shore up the D, and it will be real interesting to see how these TEs pan out.

Overall grade IMO C+

 

[BigKen]

From my cheap seat there are a lot of questions. Not one will ever be answered. Then I realize why I'm sitting in my 8 x 12 office in my house and retired and not sitting in my office making multi-million dollar NFL Draft selections. I'm not experienced or knowledgeable enough to do it. Especially when a guy with with 41 years experience, 8 Super Bowl Rings and more than 24 years as a head coach in the NFL is making the ones I question. So I'll try to answer my questions myself.

#37, 2nd round - Kyle Dugger, Safety, Lenoir-Rhyne - Bill and Nick apparently saw something that this guy did and repeated that they love. I'll bet that he's starting when they play the first regular season game. Patrick Chung will be gone. This gives BB $6M to put in his bank for any moves that have to made.

#60, 2nd round - Josh Uche, OLB, Michigan - Again, there's something that they love about this guy to trade up to get him. He's going to replace Roberts.

#87, 3rd round - Anfernee Jennings, OLB, Alabama - BB filled a real need here because this guy will fill the spot left by Van Noy or Collins. By this time in the draft, all of the "big name" mock draft guys were gone and half of them will be out of the league in 4 years. We'll be bitchin' in 2024 if the Patriots don't resign this guy.

#91, 3rd round - Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA - TE was the weakest position in this draft and there wasn't much difference between Kmet and Smith. Every TE had a glaring weakness. Asiasi is solid and most important can and will run block.

#101, 3rd round - Dalton Keene, TE, Virginia Tech - BB couldn't put LaCosse on the field to run block because he only weighs 245 pounds and got his ass hauled by linebackers. Keene is an excellent blocker and can provide the edge if the Patriots ever find a RB who can get there.

#159, 5th round - Justin Rohrwasser, K, Marshall - This guy impressed a lot of people on his Pro Day. He didn't miss a kick and I heard he made a couple from more than 60 yards. The Patriots took him here because they do not have a kicker on the roster and Folk was not coming back.

#182, 6th round - Michael Onwenu, G, Michigan - This guy was picked for two reasons. The first is that he's good and might be able to step right in if Thuney gets traded. Two, he be here in 2021 if Thuney doesn't come back.

#195, 6th round - Justin Herron, G, Wake Forest _ Herron is NOT a guard. He's an ALL ACC Left Tackle. He not a giant like Becton, but he has very quick feet and can keep speed rushers way outside the pocket.

#204, 6th round - Cassh Maluia, ILB, Wyoming - Patriots lost three LBs to free agency and had to backfill. He's small at 6'0" 248 but he's a hitter and a special teams guy. He's probably less than 50/50 to make it.

#230, 7th round - Dustin Woodward, C, Memphis - He's a "just in case" pick if something happens to Andrews. Karras went to Miami.


As I look at this draft, I can see that Belichick and Caserio went after "lunch bucket" guys who will come to camp and work their asses off. They'll play the same way. I think this draft was solid but certainly not spectacular. I would say it's a solid B.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

Don’t know why I keep banging my head against the wall, but...

Chung’s cap number is $6m this year. That is not what they’d save by cutting him. Will be more like $3.5m if they do it after June 1 with $1.9m dead money on next year’s cap (would be about cap neutral if they did it now).

 

[BigKen]

Don’t know why I keep banging my head against the wall, but...

Chung’s cap number is $6m this year. That is not what they’d save by cutting him. Will be more like $3.5m if they do it after June 1 with $1.9m dead money on next year’s cap (would be about cap neutral if they did it now).

The biggest savings would be on touchdowns by opponents on the field. I can run faster the can and I haven't be doing anything for almost two months.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

Day 3 of the draft has me scratching my head a bit...none of the OL they drafted really seem to fit the usual traits they look for. Same with the MLB. And I’ve already stated what I found odd about the kicker selection.

The selections of Dugger and Uche serve an obvious purpose to me...if you’re going to be having to get through Mahomes and Lamar for the next decade to make a SB, you’d better have fast dudes that can cover the middle of the field and wrap guys up in the open field. Jennings is your KVN replacement and both TE’s can move and catch and are at least willing blockers.

Overall I liked what they did with some rare aggressiveness to ensure they got certain guys they wanted. I loved Day 2 kinda meh on Day 3, which I guess if I was giving it a letter grade would probably average out to like a C+ or something. But I’ll call it a B just on Dugger’s potential and the likelihood that that’s who they were picking at 23 anyway.

 

[BigKen]

Overall I liked what they did with some rare aggressiveness to ensure they got certain guys they wanted. I loved Day 2 kinda meh on Day 3, which I guess if I was giving it a letter grade would probably average out to like a C+ or something. But I’ll call it a B just on Dugger’s potential and the likelihood that that’s who they were picking at 23 anyway.

I had to laugh listening to a repeat of a show that aired last night. The guy (I have never seen him prior) said that he believed that Belichick tanked the draft and will tank the 2020 season. The patriots will finish 2-14 and get the #1 selection in the 2021 draft and take QB Trevor Lawrence. With all of the money that they'll have available he'll have a Super Bowl ring again to celebrate his 70th birthday.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

I could maybe - maybe - buy into some tank talk if he hadn’t re-signed Thuney, DMac, and Slater at the top of the market.

Things might shift a bit if the QB’s play like poo and they start out 0-6 or something but I don’t envision a scenario where Bill will ever willingly tanks a season before it even starts. Refer back to his comments about Indy during the Suck for Luck season. And y’know everything we know about the guy from the last 45 years lol