Miami Dolphins NFL Draft grade compared to the rest of the AFC East
We are officially past the NFL Draft, and the grades are coming in. We take a look at how the teams in the AFC East fared this year.
The NFL Draft has wrapped up after a weekend full of trades, surprise selections, and impressive team building. This is especially true for the AFC East, a division that could begin to look vastly different from what it did a season ago.
The flurry of action that began during free agency carried over to the selection process, as the Jets, Dolphins, Bills, and Patriots all added to their arsenals. There were some head scratching selections made between the teams, but overall, most of the picks made should cause concern for the division opponents.
How did they do? Did the Bills do enough to solidify their reign? Was the Jets’ haul impressive enough to vault them in to contention?
We take a look at how each AFC East team fared, and what it might mean for the division moving forward:
NFL Draft Grade – New England Patriots: B-
The Patriots made a head scratching move in the first round when they selected Cole Strange with the 29th overall pick. The center out of Chattanooga is a versatile interior offensive lineman who fills a need for New England, but it feels like a reach when most had him pegged as a second or third round talent.
They had themselves a solid second and third day, however. In the second round, they were able to add speedy wide receiver Tyquan Thornton out of Baylor to add to their improved pass catching crew. During the third and fourth rounds, the Patriots selected a pair of cornerbacks by the same last name in Jack and Marcus Jones, the latter of whom is lightning-quick and can double as a kick returner.
The most interesting choice made by New England came in the fourth round when they picked Billy Zappe out of Western Kentucky. The quarterback set FBS records in touchdowns and yards last season, and could potentially become a threat to starter Mac Jones if he is able to perform well in training camp.
If you could tell me that Cole Strange would be a surefire difference maker and that there wasn’t a better value available at the 29th pick, then I could bump the Patriots grade up to a solid B or B+.