It may have been the smallest draft class in Patriots history under Bill Belichick, but New England more than quadrupled its rookie class with 17 post-draft signings, according to several media outlets. The Boston Globe offers a thorough list, complete with reaction from some players.
With the 2017 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, CSNNE.com believes New England's four-man draft class is a testament to the faith the Patriots coaches have in their roster of veterans.
Meanwhile, an ESPN blog post suggests that were it not for the Senior Bowl college all-star game, New England might not have taken the first two players it selected in this draft.
"It's possible, but it's also notable," the author points out, "that the Senior Bowl was one of the first things [head coach Bill] Belichick mentioned late Friday night when discussing the selection of [defensive end Derek] Rivers."
Another ESPN offering analyzes each of the four Patriots draft choices.
Elsewhere, a *Providence Journal *columnists writes that Belichick’s football genius is on display in the later rounds of the draft.
"Like any long-time personnel guy," the piece declares, "Belichick seems equally adept at missing on top picks as he is hitting on mid-to-late round selections. In fact, many of the franchise's greatest players came to Foxboro well after the ballyhooed, and frequently over-hyped, first- and second-round picks fell off the board."
One *Boston Herald *scribe offers her team-by-team draft grades of the AFC's most recent playoff teams, including New England.
"…they did great. They're stacked and primed to repeat," the writer concludes about the Patriots.
A Herald counterpart offers five observations about the Patriots’ draft weekend dealings.
And lastly today, on NESN.com, you'll find a preposterously early Patriots 53-man roster projection for the upcoming season.
