from SB Nation:
The New England Patriots, as is seemingly the norm at this point, had an interesting weekend at the 2011 NFL Draft, with the standard amount of traded picks (they now have two first rounders and two second rounders in 2012) and surprising selections (see: Mallet, Ryan). So how did the Patriots do in the 2011 NFL Draft grades?
They entered the draft with an obvious deficiency on defense, specifically putting heat on opposing quarterbacks. The Pats finished the 2010 campaign ranked 32nd in the league -- that's dead last -- on third down with opposing signal callers posting an outrageous, 103.4 passer rating in such situations. Was that the fault of a young secondary? In some part, sure. But the inability of the Pats to generate pressure on even a partly consistent basis from anywhere in the front seven along with the preponderance of evidence that suggested a lot of depth in this year's draft class in that area made it seem like a slam dunk that the coach Bill Belichick would grab at least one defensive lineman or linebacker with one of the team's 10 selections.
And then, he didn't.
Read more here.
