The New England Patriots headed into the NFL Draft as the defending Super Bowl champions, but that victory had a lot to do with Bill Belichick the brilliant head coach overcoming Bill Belichick the once-great personnel man. It’s been difficult to put a finger on why, but his drafts and roster moves in recent seasons largely hadn’t lived up to the reputation he earned in his first decade on the job. But the 2015 draft is a different story, and for the most part, it appears Belichick has returned to form.
The New England Patriots took Malcolm Brown at the end of the first round, a player who probably should have gone about fifteenth and slid down the draft for no good reason. That’s the kind of move which the league has come to expect from Bill Belichick, not only because it’s a great value pick, but also because it bolsters the Pats defensive line at a time when other AFC East teams are overspending to boost their own D-lines. It may not be enough to cancel out the Dolphins addition of Ndamukong Suh, but it’s a lot less costly. And when you’re the best team in the division to begin with, you have some breathing room. The Pats did get dicey in the second round, however.
Defensive back Jordan Richards is the kind of question-mark player who, in a few years, will either make Belichick and the New England Patriots look like geniuses or look foolish, depending on how he turns out. Will he be enough to replace Darrelle Revis? No. But will it be enough to keep the status quo pecking order in the division? Probably.
Jake Robison
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