I honestly think that pass rushers, both inside and outside, need to be prioritized as a group almost as highly as a quarterback.I think the mantra should be that you can never have too many guys who can get after the quarterback.
This would include specialized interior defensive lineman who can be a little lighter to add more quickness and a strongside/outside linebacker who must be accounted for.
Defensive ends are a little trickier, at least your base two, who, in the age of mobile quarterbacks, must be able to contain as well as rush the QB. But if you’ve got a third defensive end/linebacker who can be moved around specifically to attack the quarterback, that’s ideal.
I don’t think the Pats have put quite enough value on this kind of thinking, though the picks of Bequette (granted he’s likely a bust but at least they tried), Collins, Buchanan and even picking up Armond Armstead and Chris Jones show some awareness to this kind of thinking.
Guys like Spikes and Hightower do leave me scratching my head a little bit. There was a definite need for Spikes after how the Ravens ran all over the Pats in the 2009 playoff game. But how many games have the Patriots lost because they couldn’t stop the run?
Now, as I see it, you need athletes at all levels of your defense, but the vital part of defense is pressure. You can cover any defensive deficiency with pass rush. The 2004 Pats winning the Super Bowl with Randall Gay covering Terrell Owens is proof of that. The saying is “defenses win championships” but I think it’s closer to “defensive front sevens win championships”.
As for guys who can’t stay on the field, I don’t put much weight in guys being “injury prone”. Sometimes, like in Ras-I Dowling’s case it has merit, especially if you’re taking that guy at 33rd overall. But generally injuries are impossible to predict, just look at Edelman vs. Amendola this year. Edelman was every bit as “injury prone” as Amendola coming into 2013, and that had no bearing on him putting in 16 games.
You have to find guys they like, take note of their injuries, but ultimately make a decision based on who they are when they’re healthy.