The 2012 NFL Draft is complete and New England head coach Bill Belichick might prove once again that he is draft-master. He traded up twice in the first round to grab Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower. And in the seventh round, he plucked cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, a player who should have gone in Round 3 had it not been for punching a cop in the face. All that allows SB Nation's Joel Thorman to give the Patriots a 'B' grade in his 2012 NFL Draft grades.
Thorman does fault the Patriots a little bit as a result of the Tavon Wilson pick in the second round, but that doesn't prevent the team from being tied with the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins for the best grade in the AFC East. The New York Jets lag behind with a 'B-.'
Has Belichick done enough to fix the Patriots' problems and get them back to the Super Bowl?
For all your New England Patriots news and analysis, head to Pats Pulpit. For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit this StoryStream. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results, visit SBNation.com. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.