Patriots First Day Picks

The Patriots did some wheeling and dealing, trading themselves out of the 1st round, but they wound up with 4 picks in the 2nd round. As such, they didn't get anyone who will blow your socks off. They didn't get an OLB. In fact, they seemed to address more of their 2010 needs than their 2009 needs:

PATRICK CHUNG, S, OREGON
A hard-hitting, close-to-the-line breed of safety. The drafting of Chung probably means the end of Rodney Harrison as a starter. Chung also joins James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather at the position.



He's a playmaker, which the Pats have desperately lacked in their defensive backfield for years. He hits hard, he picks the ball off, and he tackles. He had 9 career picks, and 370 tackles, setting a school record.

I love this pick. Chung seems like a guy who will be capable of changing a game with two or three plays, while simultaneously doing his job on all the other downs. He doesn't seem like he'll improve the pass-defense situation too much, though. And that's a concern that needs addressing.

RON BRACE, DT, BOSTON COLLEGE
The Pats traded up to get the 40th pick, and they took Ron Brace. With contracts like Vince Wilfork's coming to an end very soon, the Patriots got some insurance/leverage with this selection Brace. Brace was BJ Raji's fellow tackle, so he certainly got some help. The Pats have a tendency to convert DTs into DEs in their 3-4 schemes (Seymour and Warren were both DTs, and could play DT for many NFL teams), so I wouldn't be shocked if Brace sees time when the Pats go 4-3, and also occasionally at DE on 3-4.



DARIUS BUTLER, CB, CONNECTICUT
This guy has "Patriot" written all over him. He's versatile, playing both offense and defense. He returned kicks. He even played some QB in high school. He's only 5' 10" but he can get up there with his vertical leap.

The Pats seem to have a philosophy when it comes to their defensive backfield. Get a dozen guys with potential and hope 2 or 3 of them work out. Take a lot of shots, hope you hit something. I think this Butler kid has tons of potential. He's too athletic to not at least catch on as a special teams player.



SEBASTIAN VOLLMER, OT, HOUSTON
The Pats ended their extensive 2nd round selections with offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer, originally from Kaarst, Germany (I like him already), Vollmer is nearly 6' 8" and 315 lbs. He's not stunning, and from what everyone is saying, he's a guy who will help the Pats more in 2010 (when they're likely to lose some free agents on the O-line) than in 2009.



-The Commodore