The New England Patriots are coming off of yet another AFC East title following a 14-2 regular season. But disappointment hit the Patriots once again after getting knocked out of the playoffs by division rival New York Jets at home. Bu New England went into the draft with three of the first 33 picks, and they were looking to reload. Their first selection at #17 was Nate Solder, the athletic 6'8 tackle from Colorado, who will team up with fellow man mountain Sebastian Vollmer to protect the edges for Tom Brady for years to come. New England traded their second pick in Round 1, and continued their philosophy of accumulating picks in later rounds.
New England got a cornerback at the top of Round 2 in Ras-I Dowling to pair up with last year's number one pick Devin McCourtey. Then the Patriots went for running back with a second round and third round pick in Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley, respectively. But their second pick in Round 3 was the attention getter. Ryan Mallett was sitting there, and New England snared the strong armed quarterback. He will be groomed to be Tom Brady's replacement, or he will be the next Matt Cassel and be shipped out to a team in need of a quarterback who is willing to pay a high price.
New England didn't address their needs of rushing the passer or wide receiver. But it is futile to argue about the picks Bill Belichick makes. He makes them work out in the long run.
A late round sleeper pick for the Patriots looks to be Marcus Cannon, the mammoth guard from TCU selected in the fifth round. Cannon was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and will undergo chemotherapy treatments. He may sit out 2011 while he recuperates, but if he can come back either this year or next with a clean bill of health he could be a fixture at guard for a long time.
Draft Grade: B+
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