Happy Draft Day, Pats fans!
Thursday night is the most important night in the rest of your Foxboro fandom. Not gonna lie; it's a big one. And all eyes are on Belichick. Following the departure of the greatest player in franchise history, and the unretiring and trading of arguably the second-greatest player in franchise history, the greatest coach of all-time has his work cut out for him. The future begins now, yet these are the Patriots and a transition or bridge year doesn't cut the mustard that goes on our tailgate Italian sausage 'n peppers.
Armed with twelve draft picks (1 one, 3 threes, 2 fours, 2 fives, 3 sixes and 1 seven), the Pats have the flexibility to trade up for premier talent, trade back to add middle-round depth in a deep draft, or select a few and stockpile higher picks for the future. Which is exactly why Belichick will draft a corner, a long snapper and a bunch of guys from Rutgers and Navy we've never heard of. All low-hanging draft jokes aside, what will they do? We've heard insiders like Ian Rapoport say the Pats will use a premier pick on a QB, but what about Stidham? The defense is definitely the team's strong point, but there's depth to address especially at linebacker. And then there's the need for speed, plus a kicker. This is THE must-see-sports-TV event since the Super Bowl. And not just because it's the only game in town. Well, maybe. Plus who wants to miss the guaranteed tech issues, and virtual booing of the commissioner?
To be prepared you know to go to WEEI.com for all the latest draft updates, mocks, news, buzz and more.
For your draft night info and analysis, WEEI will have you covered with Mut, Wiggy, Fauria and Andy Hart live on 93.7 FM.
Looking to have a cold draught pre-draft? Join me and Rich Keefe for the WEEI Facebook NFL Draught Party, presented by Bud Light, at facebook.com/WEEI at 730pm EST (FYI it's BYOB).
If you're looking to get an idea of who the Pats will take tonight (we still say trade out) try your hand at a mock draft using the very fun and easy to use Pro Football Network mock draft simulator.
And for nostalgia fun, and to get the hype train rolling, let's take a look at our five favorite draft moments in Patriots history.
BROADCAST HIGHLIGHT
The 2020 NFL Draft, live on ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network, 8 p.m.
Multi-network cooperation. Virtual format. Fundraising efforts. This will be unprecedented sports television, to say the least.
5.) 2009: Patriots take Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman in the 7th Rd
Granted, Tom Brady was coming off ACL repair surgery, but it's not like his job was in jeopardy to a running QB nobody had heard of before. Plus, they had the best slot receiver in the game in Wes Welker. So it's not like his job was in jeopardy...to a running QB nobody had heard of before. And yet somehow this scrappy grinder turned himself from almost irrelevant to all-time Pats great.
4.) 2007: Patriots trade for Randy Moss
Easily their greatest draft trade in history, maybe one of the best of all-time, the Pats fleeced the Raiders of one of the greatest receivers in NFL history, who was dogging it in Oakland and looking for a fresh restart. And boy did he find it in the form of playing ball wit Tom Brady on the greatest offense in NFL history.
3.) 2010: Pats trade up to draft Rob Gronkowski
Whoever heard of this giant brohemoth from Arizona with a history of injuries who just had to sit out his junior season due to back surgery? Not many. And those who had weren't too keen on him (in this, the tweet that will live in infamy):
------ pic.twitter.com/wgRKaf6Qsn
— Brendon Jennings (@BrendonJennings) March 25, 2019Turns out this Gronk fella was a bit injury prone. He also happened to be unstoppable, in both the receiving game and blocking game. And with his goofy demeanor, good looks, frat-boy charm and penchant for nonsense became perhaps the most popular player in Pats' history. Everyone wanted to be and/or be with Gronk (don't let this week's trade obscure your love of Gronk and all he did and meant to the team and this region, K?)
2.) 2016: Kevin Faulk Defends Tom Brady
Patriots Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion Kevin Faulk is the original 3rd down back, an incredibly important piece of the Pats dynasty. But to some perhaps the greatest contribution he made came on draft night 2016. Tom Brady was suspended for the farce that was DeflateGate, and Faulk was chosen as player representative for the team to announce the third-round pick (which happened to be a good one, Joe Thuney). And with one wardrobe choice raised a metaphorical middle finger to the league while putting his friend and a fanbase on his shoulders. I remember losing my s**t when I saw him come out on stage in that No. 12 jersey.
BTW - did you ever see Tom Brady return the favor to Faulk? Pretty great.
1.) 2000: Pick #199
You know the rest.
BECAUSE YOU NEED THIS
Quarantine stuntmen...hey, we're not getting "John Wick 4" or Mission: Impossible 7" anytime soon, so in the age of COVID-19 shutdown this will have to scratch your action movie itch for now. It's kinda like Ocean State Job Lot Jackie Chan.
Quarantined stuntmen, bruh... pic.twitter.com/nYSOqzAzBs
— Rex Chapman---- (@RexChapman) April 22, 2020QUOTE OF THE DAY
"One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team." -- Prescient words by basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who retired from the NBA 31 years ago today (and still lives on in the Pro Basketball Hal of Fame and that great scene from "Airplane")
