Patriots Live Blog: Pats Draft NT Vincent Valentine With 96th Pick
BOSTON (CBS) -- Follow all the Patriots moves on Day 2 of the NFL Draft!
11:07 p.m.: The Patriots drafted Nebraska defensive tackle Vincent Valentine with the 96th pick, concluding their evening on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
It's surprising they waited this long to draft a defensive lineman, a big area of need, but they got a guy they liked with their final selection on Friday. Valentine is a big bodied nose tackle at 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds. He is said to be very strong against the run, and finished last season with 45 tackles and three sacks in 11 starts for the Corn Huskers.
Here is what CBS Sports said about Valentine ahead of the draft:
STRENGTHS: Strong upper body to jolt blockers off the ball. Does move well laterally for a 320+ pounder.
WEAKNESSES: Tends to fatigue and wear down, allowing blockers to keep him occupied if his initial move doesn't work. Not the most rangy interior player. Needs to be fresh to play at his peak and be the most effective.
IN OUR VIEW: While surprisingly athletic, himself, Valentine isn't as explosive off the ball as his teammate, Maliek Collins. He's stouter at the point of attack, however, showing the anchor to intrigue scouts operating for 3-4 and 4-3 defenses, alike.
That's it for the Patriots tonight, but they have eight picks to make on Saturday:
– Fourth round -- No. 112 overall (acquired from New Orleans for 61st pick)
-- Sixth round — No. 196 overall (acquired from Houston in Keshawn Martin trade)
– Sixth round — No. 204 overall (acquired from Chicago in Martellus Bennett trade)
– Sixth round — No. 208 overall (compensatory pick)
– Sixth round — No. 214 overall (compensatory pick)
– Sixth round — No. 221 overall (compensatory pick)
– Seventh round — No. 243 overall (acquired from Houston in Ryan Mallett trade)
– Seventh round — No. 250 overall
We'll be breaking down the Patriots' four selections from Friday night, so stick with CBSBostonsports.com!
10:56 p.m.: Here's a bit of a shocker.
The Patriots held on to the 91st pick, and drafted quarterback Jacoby Brissett out of NC State.
Brissett had a career-high 2,662 passing yards as a senior, with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention honors and a spot in the Senior Bowl.
Here's what CBS Sports said of Brissett before the draft:
STRENGTHS: Built for the NFL with a filled-out frame. Has some Houdini to him with his mobility and physicality to brush off contact and keep plays alive. Natural body power in short-yardage situations (902 career rushing yards). Functional movement in the pocket and squares to his target to deliver on the run.
Strong arm to spin spirals and throw the entire route tree. Understands touch, controlling his ball speed to add juice or use trajectory. Experienced making NFL-style decisions, anticipating windows and reading different coverages. Vision to see the entire field as a passer and scrambler, knowing where the sticks are. Tough, durable and bounces back after physical collisions, standing tall in the pocket and finishing as a runner. Takes care of the ball with a career 46-to-15 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Senior captain with natural leadership qualities - sent his offensive teammates hand-written notes before every game and baked desserts for his offensive line. Self-motivated with insatiable work ethic.
WEAKNESSES: Not a confident downfield thrower with inconsistent deep accuracy - appears gun shy and often relies on check downs. Too comfortable throwing on the run or delivering with his momentum going backwards. Shaky platform and needs to set his base when given the time. Inconsistent footwork leads to inaccurate ball placement (59.5% career completion percentage). Low career interception numbers because he is too careful, not consistently pushing the ball downfield or fitting throws into tight windows.
Not an explosive athlete and tends to be indecisive on non-designed runs. Doesn't understand how to use his eyes, leading defenders with late throws. Pressure disrupts his tempo and late to climb the pocket.
IN OUR VIEW: Brissett is well-built with physical traits for the next level with his size, mobility and arm talent. He can make NFL throws, but is also slow to read and showed gun shy tendencies as a downfield thrower - was the king of dink and dunk and check downs inflated his completion percentage.
Brissett should improve with NFL coaching and has the intangibles and enough talent to carve out a back-up role, but tough to see him becoming a starter down the road due to his inconsistencies as a downfield passer.
Another depth pick for the Pats, who are set under center with Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. It's a bit high, but there could be more to this move -- maybe a Garoppolo trade on Saturday? There's also that four-game suspension Brady will have to serve (at least at the moment), so we'll have to stay tuned on this one.
10:17 p.m.: With their first of three picks in the third round, the Patriots drafted offensive lineman Joe Thuney out of NC State. He is listed as a guard but has experience at all five positions along the line (there's that versatility the Patriots love).
Protecting Tom Brady (or Jimmy Garoppolo for four games) is always important for New England, and this pick will add some depth at a position they need it.
Here is what CBS Sports said about Thuney ahead of the draft:
STRENGTHS: Works hard to gain proper position and seal run lanes. Athletic climber to work off contact and find bodies at the second level. Moves with bounce in his feet, playing the piano up and down the line of scrimmage. Excellent awareness, picking up pressures and keeping his head on a swivel. Understands protections and rarely surprised. Anchors well at shallow depth, resetting to answer counters.
Highly intelligent (39 on his Wonderlic) and graduated cum laude with a degree in accounting prior to his junior season - always taking notes or reading. Experienced at all five offensive line positions, starting at both tackle and guard spots and practicing at center...worked hard to fill out his frame, adding nearly 60 pounds of good weight since arriving at NC State at 245 pounds.
WEAKNESSES: Upper body technique needs refined due to wild hand placement, leading to holding and hugging issues. Lacks ideal length to engage before defenders attack his chest. Clunky feet in his kickslide, getting his footwork tied up and allowing rushers to jolt him backwards. Lean-boned with only average play strength, not generating power from his hips.
Narrow based pass-sets and struggles vs. moving targets. Inconsistent bender, falling off blocks. Wandering eyes, too worried about what is happening around him.
IN OUR VIEW: Thuney shows adequate movement skills and pays attention to his technique, but his lack of core strength and poor hand placement are concerns for the next level - offers position flex, but does his best work in a tight squares, ideally fitting inside at guard for a zone-blocking scheme.
Sounds like a very smart player that Dante Scarnecchia should have some fun with this season.
Kevin Faulk announced the pick in Chicago wearing a Tom Brady jersey.
"With the 78th pick the New England Patriots and Tom Brady select Joe Thuney," said Faulk.
10:07 p.m.: New England's next pick comes at No. 78, which they just acquired from the Saints. They currently have three selections in the third round: 78, 91 and 96.
They could trade one of those to get more picks in the fourth or fifth round (they have just one at the moment), but have to use pick No. 96, a compensatory pick.
9:21 p.m.: With the 60th pick in the draft, the Patriots selected Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones. They sent pick N0. 61 to the Saints for picks No. 78 (third round) and N0. 112 (fourth round).
Here's what CBS Sports had to say about corner Cyrus Jones:
STRENGTHS: Loose athlete with the flexible muscle fibers to quickly redirect. Speed to stay hip-to-hip downfield. Fast drive mechanics to click-and-close and shrink gaps in coverage. Improved eye discipline and patience with his reads. Shorter than ideal, but good arm length and build. Physical at the catch point and challenges throws. Aggressive in run support and strikes through his target, delivering a pop at the point of attack. Ascending confidence as his cover skills develop. Finishes the interceptions he should make. Understands field leverage and uses the sideline as his friend. Plays with a chip and naturally motivated. Impact return potential on special teams with four punt returns for touchdowns as a senior, averaging 12.5 yards per punt return in his career.
WEAKNESSES: Short for the position with maxed out muscle definition. Lack of size stands out vs. bigger receivers. Inconsistent timing and spatial awareness, arriving too early or allowing too much of a cushion. Needs to improve his sink and transition technique while also getting his head turned to find the ball. Too hands-on with his back to the ball, struggling to read the receiver. Panics easily, leading to holding penalties. Better arm length than expected for his height, but doesn't consistently play that long. Late to shed perimeter blocks. Needs to improve his ball security as a return man - six career fumbles. Arrested for domestic violence (April 2015), but the charges were dropped days later. Diagnosed with a torn labrum in his hip (June 2014), playing through the injury as a junior and electing for surgery (Jan. 2015) after the season.
IN OUR VIEW: Despite never earning All-Conference honors at Alabama, Jones steadily improved as his reps increased at cornerback. He competes at the catch point, but struggles to compensate for his lack of size, especially vs. good-sized targets. Although he needs polish with his spacing and timing in coverage, Jones is NFL ready as a return man and will play on special teams while he looks for work in the secondary.
A 5-foot-10 he's a little undersized for the position, but you can see why Belichick likes him given his versatility on special teams.
Jones was on the Felger & Mazz big board, so that makes it four straight years they've gotten a Patriots pick correct.
9:16 p.m.: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just traded up to take kicker Roberto Aguayo of FSU, so the Patriots are finally on the clock!
9:13 p.m.: Maryland corner Sean Davis is off the board, going to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 58. He would have been a great addition to the New England secondary.
9:01 p.m.: Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd, a potential target for the Patriots in the second round, just went to the Bengals with the 55th pick.
Four picks to go until the Patriots go back-to-back, but don't be surprised if they trade one of those selections to get into the fourth or fifth round tomorrow. They do not own a single pick in either round at the moment.
8:48 p.m.: There are just eight picks away from the Patriots making their two picks in the second round.
The New York Jets just used the 51st overall pick to take Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg. They don't want Ryan Fitzpatrick, but they'll add another bad prospect to their quarterback pool.
7:00 p.m.: The New England Patriots had to sit and watch the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, but have four picks at their disposal on Friday night.
Rounds two and three of the draft gets underway at 7 pm, with the Patriots holding a pair of picks in each of them.
Read: Top Picks Still On The Board
Here are New England's picks on Friday night:
– Second round — No. 60 overall
– Second round — No. 61 overall (acquired from Arizona in Chandler Jones trade)
– Third round — No. 91 overall
– Third round — No. 96 overall (compensatory pick)
Teams will have seven minutes to make their selections in the second round, so the Patriots should make their first picks (barring a trade) somewhere close to 10 pm. Teams have five minutes to make picks in the third round, so tonight's portion of the draft is expected to conclude shortly after 11 pm.
A pair of former Patriots greats will be on hand in Chicago, with Richard Seymour and Kevin Faulk set to announce New England's selections this evening.
You can follow every pick on Saturday night with the CBS Local Sports live blog.
Stick with CBSBostonsports.com for a breakdown of New England's selections (or trades, given how Bill Belichick likes to operate), and tune in to full draft coverage on The Adam Jones Show on 98.5 The Sports Hub!
