What did teams around the league - or at least people who work for those teams - think about the Patriots' draft? A reminder: these are opinions. Granted, they are opinions of team builders, scouts, and coaches, but they are opinions nonetheless. Most of you do an excellent job of keeping that in mind. Take 'em. Leave 'em. Cherrypick what you want (so long as you keep it in context). Below are thoughts on rounds 4 through 7.
Craig Woodson (S, 6'0", 200 lbs): This pick drew a mixed bag of responses — more debate than any on this side of Will Campbell. There's no question that the Pats had this guy circled on their board. They had an entire night to sleep on it and didn't budge on the first of their two fourth-round picks.
"Little underwhelming," texted one defensive coach. "Does plenty well enough but nothing great. He's in position, but his length prevents him from making enough plays on the ball. Fast but not the kind of speed that erases mistakes. Will stick his nose in there, but isn't strong enough to jar back bigger players. I see him as a piece, but not the solution."
"Six years in college," added another coach. "You know what you're getting. Smart, tough, and dependable. Cal put a lot on his plate."
Can he play in the slot?
"He has the speed and quickness to do it," said one scout. "Might be better against a power slot than one of those little pissants running return routes (think Julian Edelman's TD vs Seattle in the Super Bowl). I didn't love him against tight ends that often. Just too much of a size discrepancy."
"I see him as a safety only," added a different scout. "He sees it well, and he won't make mistakes. Not sure how many big plays he'll make, but he should make for a solid starter eventually."
Joshua Farmer (DT, 6'3", 305 lbs): "My goodness, when he stays low, he can explode through the guy across from him. A lot of guys almost had to recalibrate after their first couple of contacts with him," an assistant coach told me. "Would have loved to see that more consistently, but that's in his bag."
"You can see him use that length to his advantage (35+ inch arms), but he's got to have a better pass-run plan and a couple of moves he can rely on consistently," said another coach who watched Farmer's tape. "He's not the most agile dude, but I see good potential there."
Bradyn Swinson (Edge, 6'4". 255 lbs): I believe this pick has the potential for the biggest bang for the buck relative to where Swinson was selected. After talking to a half-dozen league sources, that opinion remains.
"Based on talent alone, he should have been a top-100 pick," said an assistant coach. "As a pass rusher, he's ready to help right now, and I think there's another level he can get to. That's on him, though."
The Swinson conversation is interesting based on that last comment. As we reported, he's had some run-ins with coaches, and being late cost him a quarter in LSU's game against Florida (a game the Tigers lost). I spoke with someone involved with the program and was told Swinson's a passionate kid, and sometimes that passion gets in the way. But how others have framed it makes me wonder if I'm getting the whole truth. As for now, I'll go on what I'm being told.
"The power he has rushing the passer is impressive," texted a scout. "But he's also got the quicks necessary to play out there. He undressed more than a few tackles, just scooting by them. I'm unsure why it took him so long to put it together, but I thought he did that this fall."
"Swinson knows what he's doing," said another assistant coach. "Besides the athleticism, I really like that he understands what the tackle/offense is trying to do to him and generally can adjust to it."
Swinson is considered a competent run defender. It's not his strength, but he can hold his own. If he wants to be a three-down player in Foxborough, he'll need to grow in that regard.
Andres Borregales (K, 5'11", 202 lbs): The first kicker taken in the draft. He hit 86% of his career field goal attempts, including 18-of-19 this past season. The Pats spent plenty of time with Borregales at the University of Miami's pro day. Pats front office member Alonzo Highsmith overlapped with him at the U.
"Guy was clutch in college," said a scout. "Doesn't have that supersized leg so many of these kids are coming into the league with. You see it on kickoffs, especially, but he makes his kicks. What team doesn't want consistency in their specialists?"
Marcus Bryant (T, 6'7", 320 lbs): The Missouri left tackle has played a lot of football, so though it's college experience, it's experience nonetheless in one of the best conferences in all of football (this past season; he transferred from SMU).
However, Bryant also has the tools that most teams would want to develop at this point in the draft. 6'7", 320 pounds (ish), and nearly 35-inch arms (and 83+' wingspan). He's also a good athlete (8.97 RAS, including a 4.97 40). Bryant does have surprisingly small hands (sub 9 inches). Hey, the man can't have everything.
"This is one strong dude on the field," said a scout. "Gets into the defender and stays on him. Has pretty good feet, too. I think there's more there to unearth."
"More of a leaner than he is a road grader," said another. "Doesn't seem to have great football sense. You see it with how often he struggles to identify and pick up stunts. Feels like a career backup."
Julian Ashby (LS, 6'1", 230 lbs): The first long snapper drafted since 2021 — a big kid at 6'1", 231 pounds, but still considered a touch undersized for the role. When Ashby was drafted, you knew Joe Cardona's days were numbered. Indeed, they were. He was released last week. I couldn't find anyone to share their thoughts except for the classic "Wait, I thought Bill (Belichick) was gone?" text from one front office exec. Apparently, he had several teams interested in signing him as a UDFA, so the Pats used one of their 11 picks to ensure there was no bidding war.
Per NFL.com's Lance Zeirlein:
- Adequate velocity as a long snapper.
- Above-average athleticism for his position.
- Tremendously accurate on short and long snaps.
- First-team Academic All-American studying mechanical engineering.
Kobee Minor (DB, 5'11", 188 lbs): Mr. Irrelevant. Went to three different colleges: Texas Tech, Indiana, and Memphis. Would have stayed in Bloomington, but the coaching staff got fired. Hence, the last move. Minor got a lot of credit for helping some of the younger defensive backs at IU. Also a versatile player who has seen time as an outside corner but also at safety. Yet the spot he didn't play in college may be his best shot at making the Pats roster.
"Unless you want to play a ton of zone, I think he's gotta become a slot," said a scout. "I think he's faster than his timed speed (4.56 40), and the kid likes to hit. He'll stick his nose in there over and over again."
"I like the way he moves. He's a good athlete," added a scouting director. "But it's pretty hard to play as much as he did and never have an interception. That's where the pure speed and lack of closing burst come into play."
STEELERS SAY NO MAS
After teasing a couple of big trades before the NFL Draft, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones finally delivered on one earlier this week. That is, if you consider George Pickens 'big.'
Dallas is sending a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for the talented but petulant pass catcher. The deal also includes the Cowboys shipping off a 2027 fifth-round pick and getting back a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie deal (as a second-rounder, there is no 5th-year option). Per reports, Jones and company aren't in a hurry to give him an extension.
Pickens was on the block at the trade deadline last year, and his name was churning in the rumor mill since the start of free agency. The Cowboys had initially offered a 4th on draft weekend but sweetened the deal to push it over the finish line. This gives them a necessary complement to CeeDee Lamb. The team had hoped to do that in the draft, desiring Tet McMillan, but he had gone four spots earlier to the Carolina Panthers (#8 overall).
The 24-year-old Pickens had 59 catches for 900 yards over 14 games last season. The season prior, he went for 1,100 yards. So why would the Steelers move off him? A handful of on-and-off-field issues plagued his tenure, leading to this gem from Mike Tomlin.
"He's just got to grow up, man," he said after a late-season win over the Bengals. "This is an emotional game, man. These divisional games are big. He's got a target on his back because he's George; he understands that. But he's got to grow up. He's got to grow up in a hurry."
Safe to say Tomlin didn't think that was happening any time soon, and now Pickens is a Dallas problem.
CUTTING TIES
With a simple yet tone-deaf statement, the Ravens parted ways with kicker Justin Tucker earlier this week.
"Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances. Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker," said GM Eric DeCosta. "Justin created many significant and unforgettable moments in Ravens history. His reliability, focus, drive, resilience and extraordinary talent made him one of the league's best kickers for over a decade. We are grateful for Justin's many contributions while playing for the Ravens. We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives."
Nowhere in the statement did DeCosta reference the ongoing league investigation into allegations from 16 different massage therapists who have accused the 13-year pro of sexually inappropriate behavior. Those stories were revealed in a series of articles published by the Baltimore Banner. At least two of the spas claim to have banned Tucker from their facilities, and several other massage therapists have since refused to work with him.
Tucker has denied the allegations, describing the reports as "desperate tabloid fodder." His lawyers insist their client is not banned from those two spas.
The Ravens insisted they would let the league complete its investigation before making any decisions regarding Tucker. However, during the NFL Draft, the team selected another kicker, Arizona's Tyler Loop, in the sixth round. That was the first time they drafted a kicker in franchise history, signaling the likelihood of a change.
Tucker is #1 in league history for field goal percentage (89.1%) and has the longest field goal (66 yards). He's a 5-time All-Pro. However, the 35-year-old is coming off the worst year of his professional career, missing 8 field goals and a pair of extra points.
"I have every expectation that Justin's going to be a great kicker for us next year and moving forward," said DeCosta at the season-ending press conference. About that...
Tucker has been designated as a post-June 1 cut, and Baltimore will gain $4.2 million toward its cap. That also allows the team to spread out his dead cap hit of $7.5 million over two seasons.
NO WORDS
Speaking of Baltimore, after the Ray Rice domestic violence incident in 2014 that was captured on camera, the organization claimed to have a zero-tolerance policy on such things. And yet, in round two of the NFL Draft, they selected Marshall edge rusher Mike Green.
Green was a top 15 talent in this class. The only reason he was available on day two was because of a pair of sexual assault allegations dating back to high school and his first year at the University of Virginia. Multiple teams took Green off their board, and there have been numerous anonymous reports that some teams that interviewed Green didn't like his responses to questions relating to the matter. But not the Ravens.
We shouldn't be surprised. Baltimore butchered the aftermath of the Rice situation - don't forget the deleted tweet from the team's account saying, "Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role she played the night of the incident" or a statement that read, in part, "We know there is more to Ray Rice than this one incident." They also welcomed Rice back to the facility - honoring him in 2023. They turned a blind eye to at least two protective orders against star Terrell Suggs for abusing his then-girlfriend (google Suggs. Bad dude). Bottom line, the talent of those players was more important than their actions, alleged or, in Rice's case, proved. That's why Green gets his chance.
“Every team asked me, and I’ve been completely open about everything, and it is something that I had to go through, and I got through it,” said Green when he finally spoke to the Baltimore media at rookie mini-camp (he was not made available to talk after the draft). “Like I said, at this point forward, I’m just focused on moving on with my career (with) the Ravens.”
When pressed on the subject, Green stuck to mindless cliches.
"Like I said, I’m just focused, right now, on moving forward with my career (with) the Ravens. I’m blessed to be here. It’s an honor, and like I said, I’m glad to see what the future might hold for me.”
The Ravens said they investigated the allegations "thoroughly" and grew comfortable with the player (and presumably his answers) when he took a top 30 visit to Baltimore.
FOLLOWUP ON BEANE
In this space last week, I wrote about Bills GM Brandon Beane letting a Buffalo radio host have it after he questioned the team for not investing a high pick on a wide receiver. While I appreciate Beane taking up for his guys, the thought occurred to me that he's now put a giant's bullseye on that group and, perhaps to a lesser extent, himself.
Now, Josh Palmer can't just be a complimentary piece. He must be someone who enters Josh Allen's trust tree and quickly. Last year's second-round pick, Keon Coleman, has been criticized by both Beane and Sean McDermott for not being as professional as he needed to be. Without another high pick competing with him, Coleman must take the next step and not come off the field when it matters.
As for Beane, he successfully navigated the Stefon Diggs acquisition and then, when the time came, his departure. He put together the pieces that allowed the Bills to thrive in the star wideout's absence, where the 'Everybody eats' mantra led to the league's second-highest scoring offense and sixth in yards per play. Yes, Allen's MVP season certainly aided the cause, but he was surrounded by good, if not great, talent. In retrospect, would Beane like a do-over on that interview? As one of the smartest and most accessible GMs in the entire league (see, you can win a lot of games and not be standoffish), his momentary lapse put chum in the waters for a hungry Buffalo beat that has enjoyed all the success, but still wonders if this management group can take the Bills over the top and finally win a damn Super Bowl.