The second installment of my series reviews the Patriots' 2016-2022 draft classes. This series aims to assess the draft classes' performance in the NFL and how the picks compared to the consensus draft board at the time of the drafts. The idea is to explore whether New England often reaches for players and deviates from the obvious picks by going off their own board. The idea is to explore whether New England often reaches for players and deviates from the obvious picks by going off their own board.

Here is a legend for the grades:

Bust: The player failed to live up to their draft position, and their time with the Patriots resulted in minimal production. Total failure. Only used on players drafted in the first three rounds.

Miss: The player, usually drafted on day three, never lived up to expectations with the Patriots. It's worth noting that this differs from being labeled a bust, as the initial expectations for the player were not particularly high.

Depth player: The player provided valuable depth and saw playing time in a limited capacity for the team.

Contributor: The player had a starting-level role, 30%+ snaps on offense or defense over the course of several seasons. However, the player never developed into a high-end starter.

Slam Dunk: The pick was a resounding success, and the player developed into a substantial contributor on either offense or defense.

2018 NFL Draft

1.23: Isaiah Wynn, OT.

1.31: Sony Michel, RB.

2.56: Duke Dawson, CB.

5.143: Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB.

6.178: Christian Sam, LB.

6.210: Braxton Berrios, WR.

7.219: Danny Etling, QB.

7.243: Keion Crossen, CB.

7.250: Ryan Izzo, TE.

Isaiah Wynn, Offensive Line. 

Consensus Board Ranking: 19th Overall
Drafted As: 23rd Overall
Last NFL Snap: This Season
Snaps for Patriots: 2,542

Wynn's time in New England was tumultuous, to say the least. He dealt with injuries and inconsistent play but had some really bright moments. His contract was up this past offseason, and the Patriots elected not to re-sign him. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins, and they moved him to a full-time guard, something many pundits had called for during his tenure with the Patriots. Wynn has played every snap and has been borderline elite. He has only allowed two pressures, which ranks as the second lowest among any full-time starting guard in the NFL with a minimum of 140 snaps.

Grade: Contributor

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Sony Michel, Running Back.

Consensus Board Ranking: 33rd Overall
Drafted As: 31st Overall
Last NFL Snap: Nov 2022
Snaps for Patriots: 1,041

Michel’s career started off with a bang, as he was a key cog in the Patriots' 2018 Super Bowl run. He was heavily leaned on, rushing for 336 yards and six touchdowns in a three-game playoff span. This span is often celebrated by fans, but an underappreciated aspect of his success was just how dominant the offensive line was in that same span, opening large rushing lanes for Michel. However, following the 2018 season, it was all downhill for Michel. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry and struggled to stay healthy before ultimately retiring in 2023. Selecting a running back in the first round is often considered a bad value, especially when the player doesn't become a legit, elite force for several years. It is hard to appreciate this selection.

Grade: Contributor

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Duke Dawson, Cornerback.

Consensus Board Ranking: 87th
Drafted As: 56th Overall
Last NFL Snap: December 2020
Snaps for Patriots: 0

Dawson never took a snap for the Patriots and was traded to the Denver Broncos just one year later in a pick-swap deal. The Patriots sent Dawson and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Dawson played 412 snaps as a rotational piece for the Broncos before suffering an ACL tear in 2020. He has not taken an NFL snap since but has been on a practice squad as recently as last season.

Grade: Bust

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Ja'Whaun Bentley, Linebacker. 

Consensus Board Ranking: 341st Overall
Drafted As: 143rd Overall
Last NFL Snap: This Season
Snap for Patriots: 2,913

Bentley started his career as a massive reach according to the consensus board, but has evolved into an almost every-down starter and a key leader on the defense. He has progressively improved each year and saw a career-high in playing time last season. Bentley is now a team captain and a face of the team. He may not be an elite player, but he embodies the lifelong Patriot spirit.

Grade: Slam Dunk

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Christian Sam, Linebacker. 

Consensus Board Ranking: 180th Overall
Drafted As: 178th Overall
Last NFL Snap: Never
Snaps for Patriots: 0

After a strong rookie preseason, Sam caught the infamous 'Foxboro Flu' and spent the entirety of his rookie season on the team's injured reserve list. He was cut during the final roster cutdowns one year later in August 2019. He has bounced around NFL practice squads, having played for four other teams, and most recently, he was on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad.

Grade: Miss

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Braxton Berrios, Wide Receiver.

Consensus Board Ranking: 265th Overall
Drafted As: 210th Overall
Last NFL Snap: This Season
Snaps for Patriots: 0

Berrios was placed on injured reserve during his rookie season and was waived as part of the final roster cut-downs in 2019. He was picked up by the New York Jets the following day and stayed with the team for four seasons, developing into a viable option as a slot receiver and an All-Pro return man. He signed with the Miami Dolphins this past offseason and is currently on pace for 621 yards in 2023. If he had stayed with the Patriots, this would have been a B+ pick. However, the Patriots received no value from him. Couple this with their struggles at evaluating receiver talent over the last several years, letting him go in favor of other receivers in 2019 only further proves that the Patriots have no clue what they are doing at receiver.

Grade: Miss

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Danny Etling, Quarterback. 

Consensus Board Ranking: 484th Overall
Drafted As: 219th Overall
Last NFL Snap: Never
Snaps for Patriots: 0

There's not much to say about Etling; he never developed into anything despite taking reps at both receiver and QB. He has never taken an NFL snap but was on a practice squad as recently as this past summer. Etling has been on the practice squads of eight different teams. However, he did have a preseason highlight for the Patriots: an 86-yard touchdown run in the 2019 preseason finale.

Grade: Miss

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Keion Cross, Cornerback. 

Consensus Board Ranking: 490th Overall
Drafted As: 290th Overall
Last NFL Snap: Jan 2023
Snaps for Patriots: 53 

Crossen was traded to the Texans following his rookie season and has since become a depth cornerback and special teams player who has moved around the league. He is currently under contract with the Miami Dolphins.

Grade: Miss

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Ryan Izzo, Tight End. 

Consensus Board Ranking: 208th Overall
Drafted As: 250th Overall
Last NFL Snap: Jan 2022
Snaps for Patriots: 895

Izzo was part of the infamous 2020 roster that was barren of talent. He was forced into a starting role due to other failed draft picks. He recorded 313 receiving yards in his two years in New England and was a mediocre blocking tight end. Izzo is currently in the USFL.

Grade: Depth Player

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Breakdown (2018):

Slam-Dunks: One
Contributors: Two
Depth Players: One
Busts/Misses: Five

Reaches: I am defining a reach as a player selected one round (32 picks) or higher than the consensus board rankings. Out of the nine players selected, four of them were drafted at least one round higher than the consensus rankings. It's worth noting that I did not count second-round pick, Cyrus Jones, as a reach. He was drafted 31 spots ahead of the consensus rankings, just one spot short of my definition for a reach (32 spots), so he is right on the cusp. 

Conclusion: The Patriots faced a unique situation heading into this draft, with a major need for an influx of youthful talent and armed with two first-round picks. However, the team failed to find long-term contributors. In the short term, they managed to get one good year of play from Sony Michel and continued to ride off the coattails of the long-forgotten successful draft classes and Tom Brady to secure another Super Bowl victory.

I know what some o some of you may say, "But Tanner, they won a Super Bowl less than a year later; how could it be considered a bad draft class?" 

The front office had an opportunity to set the franchise ahead, but they failed. Not only did the 2018 draft class actually set the team back years, but it likely aided in Tom Brady's decision to leave. Brady was entering his twilight years and needed more support, which they failed to provide. It's not a stretch to infer that some of Brady's willingness to walk away was based on Belichick's dwindling talent evaluation skills. The team had experienced several drafts without much success drafting skill positions, and this draft was no better.

The Patriots selected offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn over other successful players such as receivers Calvin Ridley and DJ Moore or elite players like QB Lamar Jackson and RB Nick Chubb. The bottom line is that for the better part of the past decade, it seems the Patriots' front office has consistently drafted the wrong players.