Neighbor News
2017 NFL Draft Patriots Round Up
Who did the patriots select and how will they Contribute to the Squad, Your answer is here.
Patriots NFL Draft Round Up
By: Joe Viscione
Trading a First Round pick for Brandin Cooks, swapping a second rounder for Kony Ealy, moving eight picks back into the third round, and shelling out a fourth rounder for Dwayne Allen were only a few of the many moves the New England Patriots Made before the start of the 2017 NFL Draft.
New England initially held selections in each of the first two rounds but instead Belichick pulled a few strings and nabbed some proven veterans to help the Patriots win now, instead of investing with rookie to develop in the near future.
Despite the trades, New England managed to jump up a few spots in the draft to select two areas of need in the offensive line and pass rush.
Instead of picking 72nd overall New England completed a trade sending the thel pick away to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the 83rd overall pick where they selected DE Derek Rivers out of Youngstown State.
And with their second selection New England traded a pair of picks in 96 and 124 to select OT Antonio Garcia out of Troy with the 85th overall pick in the third round.
Patriots Select DE Derek Rivers; Youngstown State 83th Overall Selection
A few weeks before the Draft, Rivers was considered a Top 30 talent with lots of potential at Defensive End. However questions loomed regarding his productivity as he spent four years playing for a small school in Youngstown State. However, Rivers boasts exceptional ball skills and posses the tools necessary to get after the quarterback consistently. Rivers is also a multi-purpose DE as he is exceptional against both the run and pass snagging 18.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks last season. Standing at 6’4 and 248 pounds Rivers also posses an NFL body that is ready to translate to the next level. Despite some questions, Rivers could easily be the steal of the Draft for The reigning Super Bowl Champs. As just a rookie he will be given chances to prove himself by being slotted into the rotation as a situational pass rusher in sub packages, which the Patriots use 80 % of the time.
Overall Grade: A-
Patriots Select OT Antonio Garcia; Troy 85th Overall Selection
Already addressing their second area of need, The New England Patriots nabbed another Top 50 talent in the early third round to help solidify the inconsistent offensive line. Playing four years at Troy, Garcia matched up against much formattable talent opposite of him proving his potential at the Left Tackle position. Standing at 6’6 and 306 pounds, Garcia lacks the bulk to be a pro level tackle as his upper body resembles more of a defensive end. However there is much potential in the former Trojan as Garcia ranked amongst the top of the Offensive Line prospects at the 2017 NFL Draft Combine where he posted a position high 31 inch vertical leap, proving his outstanding athleticism. Garcia now joins a pool of tackles in New England where he will likely be slotted behind Left Tackle Nate Solder and Right Tackle Marcus Cannon, to play as the third string tackle on the depth chart.
Overall Grade: B
