Every year it seems that Bill Belichick has a great draft, when in reality, the Patriots last few draft classes have not been very good. Is this year any different?

Last season, the Patriots lost to the Broncos in the AFC Championship game 26-16, but were able to win 12 games in the regular season. The defense needed to improve against the run game, giving up over 2100 yards on the ground last year, but with Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo returning from injury, that should improve right away.

First Round, 29th Pick: Dominique Easley, Defensive Tackle, Florida

The Patriots have never been shy with adding players who are injured. But this pick is another animal. Easley has not one, but two ACL tears (one in each knee) and he will be hard-pressed to play this season.

But if Easley is healthy, and when he is healthy, he could prove to be the steal of the draft. Widely regarded as a top-10 pick if he were healthy, Easley possesses elite interior pressure ability, and his quickness off the ball is second to maybe Jadeveon Clowney in this class. Pairing Easley next to WIlfork and in front of Mayo is the best thing for the former Gator, and he could prove to be a great player.

Second Round, 62nd Pick: Jimmy Garoppolo, Quarterback, Eastern Illinois

This pick is a bit of a head-scratcher in hindsight. At the time, most thought that this was going to be the new backup quarterback to Tom Brady, because everyone thought Ryan Mallett was going to be traded to Houston. Nevertheless, the Patriots drafted who seems to be the heir to Brady's kingdom in New England. Is he a good pick at 62 overall? No, he was not. Despite his lightning-fast release, Garoppolo has small hands, and he has trouble gripping the football. He does not possess elite arm strength, and he struggles with accuracy at time. Maybe Belichick can turn him into a star like he did with Brady, but the skepticism is evident.

Fourth Round, 105th Pick: Bryan Stork, Center/Guard, Florida State

The Patriots added depth to their offensive line in this draft, and Stork was the first of three picks in that department. The former Florida State center has the ability to play any of the interior positions on the offensive line. He will be the backup center right away, but could challenge for the starting position should their be any injuries or underwhelming play in training camp.

Fourth Round, 130th Pick: James White, Running Back, Wisconsin

This pick was very interesting, and a great value for New England. White was overshadowed at Wisconsin because of that terrific offensive line and Melvin Gordon in front of him. But make no mistake, White can hold his own. He has great quickness and enough speed to get to the edge, but what some do not know is that he is very strong. White may be short, but he can drive a pile and use his legs to fight for extra yardage. One thing we wanted to see from White was his pass protection, since that did not happen often at Wisconsin, and he aced the test in Mobile during Senior Bowl week.

Fourth Round, 140th Pick: Cameron Fleming, Offensive Tackle, Stanford

Some in the draft community had Fleming rated in the top 100 of this draft, so he could be a steal for the Patriots in the draft. Fleming entered the draft early (redshirt junior, he had one more year of football left), and he would have been picked higher if he chose to enter the draft next year, so New England got a good value on a young prospect. Fleming is a right tackle, but has the potential to move to left tackle with some work in New England. He will back up Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer next year.

Sixth Round, 179th Pick: Jon Halapio, Guard, Florida

The Patriots tap in to the Florida Gators program again, this time adding a guard in Halapio. He struggled at times last year, but he was hurt. Halapio will back up Logan Mankins right away, but make no mistake, he has the talent to be a starting guard in the NFL, so look our for him down the road as a starter.

Sixth Round, 198th Pick: Zach Moore, Defensive End, Concordia

The Patriots dig deep and add a small schoo prospect in Moore. There is not much information or tape on the pass rusher, but he does possess elite athletic ability. He stands at 6'5 and 270 pounds, and compares athletically to some of the best edge rushers in the draft. Moore had a broad jump of 123 inches, which is over 10 feet. That is pure explosion for a guy that size.

Sixth Round, 206th Pick: Jemea Thomas, Defensive Back, Georgia Tech

Thomas is a safety that plays at his best inside the box. He is a fierce hitter, but struggles mightily in coverage. He will play free safety in New England, but has a long way to climb on the depth chart. Look for him to make an impact on special teams as a hard-nosed player. Thomas is small, but he can lay the boom, so do not take him lightly.

Seventh Round, 244th Pick: Jeremy Gallon, Wide Receiver, Michigan

Gallon is 5'7 and 185 pounds, and he is already 24 years of age. In addition he is a seventh round pick, so the odds are stacked against him. Gallon lacks elite speed, but is a very reliable pass catcher. In his scouting report, which can be found here, we made sure to compare him to Wes Welker. Why? He is a smaller guy, but not fast. But his ability to get open and make tough catches cannot be ignored. Be sure to keep an eye on him in New England.

Grade: C+ with A potential

A C+ seems like a low grade, but many of these picks will not contribute in year one. It is tough to give a team a good grade when only one of their players will play right away, and he is coming off of two ACL injuries.

But, the potential for this class is out of this world. Easley could be a dominant force at defensive tackle, Fleming, Stork and Halapio could be the next big three lineman in New England down the road, and we have seen what Belichick gets out of quarterbacks, so even the Garoppolo pick could be beneficial in the future.

Let's hope this draft turns out to be one of the better classes for the Patriots in the last few seasons, and if all goes well, it very well could be. In essence, grading a draft should not happen until a few years down the road, and the potential for this class could very well be an 'A'.