Former Patriots Scout Gives Insight Into Belichick’s Draft Strategy

Imagine yourself inside a Patriots draft meeting. Many people don’t know a thing about Bill Belichick’s draft strategy. However, Jim Nagy knows a few things about this.

Nagy is a former Patriots scout. He now runs the Senior Bowl. Nagy took to Twitter to discuss Belichick’s methods. He also mentioned the way Belichick’s staff evaluates draft prospects each offseason.

According to Nagy, Belichick and former Patriots personnel chief Scott Pioli have made a “very specific” grading scale. They use this scale to project the role players would have in the third year of his time in Foxboro. A lot of teams use the same system. These teams are led by coaches who learned from the great Belichick. Yes, we refer to Brian Flores, Matt Patricia, Bill O’Brien, and others.

Current restrictions are supposed to stop the spread of COVID-19. This affected the scouting process of 2020 draft prospects. Belichick and Co. will have hard time to pick the right players. The league canceled most pro days. Teams aren’t allowed to work out players or do their own pre-draft medical evaluations. In this way, teams and players can only have phone and video calls.

Belichick’s strategy will have to work once again

Coaches have a hard time coaching players with red flags. Some Patriots draft classes have at least one player who wasn’t invited at the NFL Scouting Combine. This includes Ted Karras, Elandon Roberts, Keion Crossen, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Duron Harmon, and Nate Ebner. Some players didn’t take part in combine drills. This includes Isaiah Wynn, Braxton Berrios, and Bryan Stork.

The Patriots may go after LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss, LSU safety Grant Delpit, Texas safety Brandon Jones, Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins, Florida wide receiver Van Jefferson, Kentucky wide receiver/athlete Lynn Bowden, Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz and Alabama linebackers Terrell Lewis and Anfernee Jennings.

Belichick and his Patriots own 12 picks in the 2020 draft. They actually have just one pick of the first 86 selections. That’s No. 23 overall.

This will be a tough offseason for the Patriots. The team will try to replace Tom Brady. They will also have to replace some of the key players who left the team in free agency.