Mike Dussault

They’ve gotten at least four very solid contributors in each class so I’d say the last few years have been good. Throw in McCourty and Gronk from 2010, along with guys like Spikes/Hernandez/Mesko/Cunningham who are no longer on the team but played a vital role for good chunks of the last four seasons and they’ve really been on a pretty good tear in the last four drafts.

From 2006-2009 there are only five players left on the team that they drafted. So the recent drafts have really made up for those years of bad drafts.

Although they were still very good in 2010, I think 2011 is where things really started to come together. 2008 and 2009 were really the down years between the dynasty and the next evolution, but they’ve come back strong and now have a really good young base in place on both sides of the ball to take them past the inevitable Brady transition.

There are still holes to fill and they’ll need last year’s rookies to take significant steps forward, but on paper things look very promising.

I’ve been really hammering away at my Top 50 prospects this week and Bucannon is on the list. I do really like him, was taking a closer look today. I think in general there are quite a few solid safeties that fit that heavy-hitter/leadership persona a lot of fans are clamoring for.

As I narrow things down I find myself really liking a lot of the interior offensive linemen and quite a few defensive front seven guys along with the strong safeties and a handful of tight ends. Right now I’m just trying to get a better read on the running back class, feel like I’m furthest behind on them.

I like a lot of the wide receivers but don’t love a lot of them. Watched some Allen Robinson of Penn State today and he’s one guy I think would really fit the Pats well. Obviously seeing him in Bill O’Brien’s offense gives a real sense of how he’d look in the Pats’ offense.