The New England Patriots closed out the second day of the NFL Draft with four picks. One was expected, in cornerback Cyrus Jones, one was a wild card, in positionless offensive lineman Joe Thuney, one was a gut punch, in quarterback Jacoby Brissett, and one was a wild card, in defensive tackle Vincent Valentine.
Head coach Bill Belichick has a plan and a reason for each one of these players. Jones comes from an Alabama system that is comparable to the Patriots. Thuney can play all five offensive line spots and, hey, all five offensive linemen were awful in 2015. Brissett is going to get a year in the system before Jimmy Garoppolo is traded.
And then Valentine. I think the Patriots are going to change the way defenses are played and they want all of the big, fat, athletic guys they can get to clog the arteries of the offensive lines. Behemoths like Alan Branch and Terrance Knighton will join Valentine in eating up multiple blockers and allowing the Patriots linebackers greater freedom on the line of scrimmage.
Watch my recap of the second day below!