New England Patriots: Grading the 2011 Draft Class

3          Ryan Mallett       QB       Arkansas       Grade: C-

Mallett was a surprise pick in the 3^rd round that begun the talk that maybe the Patriots were maybe looking to the future with regards to their quarterback situation and Tom Brady’s age. His big-arm wowed scouts in the pre-draft process but a few years in to his pro-career it seemed like he didn’t have the mental application to be a Patriots quarterback. I think Coach Belichick hoped that if he wasn’t to be Brady’s successor that he could be a project that could be converted into a higher draft pick in the future. It wasn’t to be, and he was shipped of to the Texans for a conditional 6^th-round pick in 2014. While on the team, he did act as the primary backup for the 2012-13 seasons so there was value in that as an insurance policy.

5          Marcus Cannon      OG       TCU      Grade: A-

A few years ago, Cannon’s grade might have been a bit different. Often the recipient of many fans’ ire as he struggled to find a position as a versatile backup. Cannon suffered with non-Hodgkin lymphoma during the pre-draft process which had a huge impact on his eventual draft position. Since the 2011 season he has been ever present in a backup role until 2016 with Vollmer being out injured he took the right tackle role and made it his own. For a 5^th round pick and a gamble at that, Cannon has repaid the faith they had in him to return to his TCU college form.