What do the Patriots need?

I’ll start with the draft.

Round 1
1 Pick- With Seymour gone and with me not seeing Wright as the answer, I can see the Patriots going after an elite D-End. Will they trade up? They have the resources to do that, but unless there is a player BB absolutely has fallen in love with, I don’t see them trading up. In fact, depending on where the Patriots end up in the draft, I can see him trading down into the 2nd round or collecting another first rounder in 2011.
Result: An elite D-End. BB gets his elite men in the trenches from the first round. Mankins, Warren, Seymour, Wilfork… I can see him attempting to bolster the run defense and pass rush with a complete player in the first round.

Round 2
3 Picks- One from Tennessee and one from Jacksonville
Here are where the Patriots’ early picks end. The Pats have done a tremendous job picking up first round quality players for cheaper and in bulk. I see the trend continuing. Here are where the picks are immediate support players. These players may not be immediate contributors on Offense or Defense, but they will be special teams impact players and, should an injury occur or a starter starts declining, they will see the field.
Pick 1: Judging by how Tennessee is doing, it will be one of the first picks in the round. I know that BB typically refrains from the positions he feels are easily replaceable in free agency (WRs/RBs), but I feel he will break the trend and choose a solid RB who can contribute right away in the committee. Sammy Morris is too injury prone, Fred Taylor isn’t the answer and Faulk is getting older, despite the fact that he’s playing better than ever. I see a RB being drafted to bolster the stable.
Pick 2: The Jagz pick should be in the first half of the round. I can see the Patriots drafting a strong OLB with this pick. They chose not to address the LB position really in the past draft, but I feel like they cannot ignore the position anymore, especially with bringing back Seau, releasing Banta-Cain and AD not performing to his potential. Also, there is still Crable and McKenzie who will pretty much be free draft picks as well, hoping they stay healthy. The Pats need a strong OLB and this is where they’ll get their player- to play alongside studs Guyton and Mayo for years to come.
Pick 3: There are no real glaring needs so I see BB addressing depth with this pick. I can see BB picking an additional D-Lineman here for depth. I can also see BB choosing a WR here to try and get a potential #3 receiver. I’ll go out on a limb and says BB diversifies his portfolio and grabs the best WR available.

Round 3
0 Picks

Round 4
1 Pick
Here is more depth. I say BB picks up a Right Guard with this pick. We can always use more depth on the O-Line and, barring injury, these middle round players are perfect for grooming behind a talented O-Line and will give them time to learn the system.

Round 5
0 Picks

Round 6
1 Pick
It’s harder to predict players towards the end of the draft, but BB usually uses these picks to add competition during preseason and see if any players are diamonds in the rough. I can see another QB as back-up, another lineman (O or D), even a TE. However, I’ll say that BB goes for a LB with this pick- a LB to be the special teams leader that Larry Izzo was.

Round 7
2 Picks
1st Pick: Here, BB goes for additional depth and picks an O-lineman, a player who can play either center or guard.
2nd pick: BB chooses a project player, much like Edelman, but not a player switching positions, just to see if he can get a steal in a late round. I predict the project player to be a LB/DE hybrid.

I say the Pat’s main needs are:
1) A dominant defensive end who can rush the QB and stop the run.
2) A dominant OLB who can provide pressure against the QB, can tackle in the open field and can defend against the pass in our 3-4 defense.
3) A WR who is a threat as a #3 receiver and can produce when Moss and Welker (and everyone else) is covered. We may have that in Edelman and Aiken, but I feel like a true #3 from the draft would be a worthy investment (also, this player could be Brandon Tate)

I also see the Patriots bringing in an undrafted QB to push Hoyer and also an undrafted Punter to push Hanson.

Defense:

Have you looked recently at the ages of the players that the Pats started on defense this past Sunday? The oldest player was Jarvis Green.

The Pats startered Wilhite, Butler, McGowan, Merriweather, Guyton, Mayo, Ninkovich, Alexander (I think), Warren, Wilfork, Green. Aside from Green, these guys are all 26 or under; most are around 23.

They might want to look into drafting a DE or OLB in the near future, but the defense is largely in a great position, both now and going forward.

Offense:

I’m not a Matt Light fan, so I’m very excited for Vollmer to take over that position. That’s just a matter of time.

Also, and I know it’s pretty much illegal to say this, in the next 3-4 years, I’d like to see them grab a QB that can take over for the eventual retirement/departure of TB. I know he says he wants to play until he’s 40, but you just never know.

I think Hill is right, that WR and RB will almost always get taken care of through free agency (though they do have an impressive stock of young WRs). The one exception might be Faulk’s replacement. This is the one type of RB I think they should consider drafting.

aren’t far off you two, except I’d think Hoodie may want to stock up on the offensive line more than the defensive, for two reasons. As nbradley07 pointed out, the D is very young. They’ve got three solid starters in Wilfork, Green and Warren. They’ve also drafted a bunch of capable backups this year. The D-line is set for a while, especially once Brace gets up to speed. I don’t see them picking a D-lineman in the first or second unless an absolute stud drops right through the ranks for some reason.

My own theory is that next draft Hoodie will address the O-line. The O-line is getting old and injury prone, and all their contracts are running out. Factor in the emergence of Sea-Bass, and Hoodie will feel he and Dante Sarnecchia can identify and draft stud O-linesmen. Remember, the last two top-two round picks they used on the O-line were Vollmer and Mankins – at the time, both were considered reaches. Mankins became a Pro-Bowler, and Vollmer is that rare breed of Tackle who can play both sides effectively. They ought to like their chances.

I don’t see Hoodie drafting a WR in the first day, either. They’ve got young blood in Tate and Nunn, they’ve got a top combination in Moss and Welker, and they’ve got a history of getting great production out of free agent receivers. There are also due to be a fair number of good receivers hitting free agency next year, so the Pats can mix and match to get the guy they want in free agency without risking draft picks.

Finally, I’m torn on whether Hoodie will draft a linebacker or two. The Pats linebacker corps is actually fairly young overall, especially if you include Crable and McKenzie in the mix. Again, this is a position Hoodie has generally addressed in free agency, because he likes having experienced guys who won’t wilt under his complex system. Whether he drafts one or not could depend entirely on the performance of Adalius Thomas, who is the highest paid of the current linebackers. If he plays the rest of the season like a hellion, they might rely on him being able to produce. If he doesn’t, they might go after someone who will, either in trade, free agency, or in the draft.