The New England Patriots routinely shredded their AFC East rivals during the 2016 season, scoring 30 or more points in four of their six divisional matchups. So it came as no surprise Thursday when the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins all took steps to bolster their respective defenses in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Take away the shutout loss to the Buffalo Bills while third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett was at the controls, after all, and the Patriots averaged 34.0 points per game when facing off against either the Bills, Jets or Dolphins.
The Patriots did not make a selection in the opening round. They’re not scheduled to pick until No. 72 — eight picks into the third round. Since that doesn’t give us much to analyze, let’s take a look at how their AFC East foes fared.
New York Jets
Rather than address their question mark at quarterback, the Jets instead used the sixth overall pick on a player who’s been described as a QB on the other side of the ball: LSU safety Jamal Adams.
Possessing the versatility to play either strong safety or free safety, Adams is known for his big hits and leadership qualities, with Jets coach Todd Bowles calling him an “alpha dog” in his post-draft meeting with reporters. He should immediately improve New York’s miserable secondary.
Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, who said he was surprised Adams fell to No. 6, offered a scouting report of his team’s top pick.
“We thought he was a very good, well-rounded player,” Maccagnan told reporters, via NJ.com. “We felt very comfortable with his ability to play closer to the line of scrimmage or backed off in space. We felt he was equally as good of a player from an intangible standpoint, to bring into the locker room.”
Miami Dolphins
Miami used the 22nd overall pick on Missouri pass rusher Charles Harris, choosing him over the likes of Takkarist McKinley (26th to Atlanta), Taco Charlton (28th to Dallas) and T.J. Watt (30th to Pittsburgh).
Harris, who tallied nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2016, will inject some much-needed youth into a Dolphins defensive end group that won’t have 35-year-old sack leader Cameron Wake around for much longer.
“We loved the pass rush that (Harris) gives us,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told reporters, via the Sun Sentinel. “This guy loves football. It’s very important to him.”
Miami was tied for 19th in the NFL in sacks last season, and more than one-third of the team’s sacks (11 1/2 of 33) were credited to Wake. The Dolphins also ranked 24th in the league in total defense and gave up a whopping 66 points in two games against the Patriots.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills facilitated the Kansas City Chiefs’ surprisingly strong desire to draft a quarterback, trading the 10th overall pick to Kansas City in exchange for the 27th overall pick, the Chiefs’ third-round pick this year and their 2018 first-rounder.
The trade allowed the Chiefs to draft Patrick Mahomes. Buffalo, meanwhile, patiently waited until the tail end of the first round before snatching up LSU cornerback Tre’Davious White at No. 27.
While not as highly touted as his former teammate Adams, White is renowned for his coverage skills, having allowed a completion percentage of just 41.7 percent in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF had him ranked as the second-best cornerback in the draft behind Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore, who went 11th overall to the New Orleans Saints.
Buffalo is a team in need of a No. 1 corner after watching Stephon Gilmore jump ship to New England in free agency. Time will tell whether White can become that guy, but he certainly has the necessary tools.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
