One of the last batch of grades for the 2020 NFL Draft has come in, and the New England Patriots did not receive high marks.
NFL.com's Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr published Friday their 2020 draft class rankings, and the Patriots ranked 31st out of 32 teams with a C- grade. Only the Green Bay Packers, who surprisingly selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in the first round, ranked worse with a D grade.
The first sentence of Parr's analysis on the Patriots' 2020 class read, "No one's earned the right to be confident more than Bill Belichick, but this Patriots draft felt sort of ... well, arrogant."
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Arrogant? That's certainly an interesting way to describe a draft class that targeted many of the team's most glaring roster needs.
In fairness to NFL.com, grades for the Patriots' latest draft are all over the place.
A lot of it depends on how you feel about Kyle Dugger, the Division II safety from Lenoir-Rhyne who some experts feel was taken too high by the Patriots in the second round (37th overall). He obviously didn't play against elite competition in college, but his tackling ability, coverage skills and special teams play made him one of the top safeties in the 2020 class.
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Sure, it was a little surprising the Patriots didn't select a wide receiver, especially after many experts labeled the 2020 class as a historically good one at that position. But if veterans Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu are healthy to begin the 2020 season, the Patriots should have enough skill at wide receiver to run a competent offense.
The Patriots absolutely had to bolster their pass rush after losing three valuable linebackers in free agency, and upgrading at tight end was a priority after receiving very little offensive production at that position following Rob Gronkowski's retirement. Selecting two linebackers and two tight ends definitely checks those boxes, and one league exec told The Athletic that the selection of UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi was a "grand slam" for New England.
The Patriots clearly targeted athleticism and versatility with their 10 picks, and a couple of these players could make an impact as rookies. If that happens, this class will soon earn higher grades than it has over the last few weeks.