Patriots Draft Recap

It was a busy few days for the Patriots organization as they re-stocked the roster with a plethora of youth. We highlighted first round pick Devin McCourty on Thursday night. Lets check out the rest of the new Patriots:

2nd Round (42nd overall) - Rob Gronkowski TE Arizona

Gronkowski (6'6" 258 pounds) was the consensus number two tight end in this draft. He fell due to concerns about his back which caused him to miss almost his entire junior season. The diesel tight end ran a 4.65 second 40-yard dash which is very good for a tight end of his size. It should be interesting to see how he is implemented in the offense.

Other TEs on roster: Alge Crumpler, Aaron Hernandez

2nd Round (53rd overall) - Jermaine Cunningham OLB Florida

Cunningham (6'3" 266 pounds) played DE at Florida under Urban Meyer. He's the type of pass rusher that people were hoping for with the team's first round selection. In his collegiate career he had 19.5 sacks, 34 tackles for a loss, and five forced fumbles. He is very quick off of the line of scrimmage and puts a lot of pressure on opposing teams off of the edge. Look for him to be sprinkled in at the OLB spot as he could see time as a third down rusher.

Other OLBs on roster: Tully Banta-Cain, Adalius Thomas, Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable, Rob Ninkovich, Marques Murrell

2nd Round (62nd overall) - Brandon Spikes MLB Florida

Another Gator to the Patriots. Spikes (6'3" 250 pounds) was a projected first round pick until he ran a slow 40 time: five seconds flat. However, it's widely believed that he plays quicker than his time displayed. The highly instinctive linebacker ran the middle of a top ranked Florida defense and is thought to be better against the run than the pass. Having said that, he did have six interceptions over the past two years. He was suspended for the first half of the Vanderbilt game after trying to gauge the eyes of a Georgia player. He does have good bloodlines as he is the cousin of veteran 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes. A three year starter, he could slide into the inside linebacker spot next to Jerod Mayo from day one.

Other MLBs on roster: Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Tyrone McKenzie, Eric Alexander, Thomas Williams

3rd Round (90th overall) - Taylor Price WR Ohio
Price (6'0" 204 pounds) fell slightly in the draft, and the team was happy to nab him. He was second at the NFL Combine among wide receivers with a 4.41 second 40-yard dash. His scouting report says he has great hands and a knack for making good catches, but that he needs to improve his route running. Price had 56 catches in his senior season as a Bobcat for 784 yards and five touchdowns. Don't expect to see much of Price on the field this season, but with Randy Moss entering his last season and Torry Holt in on a one year flier, hopefully Price can learn from the veterans and prepare to team with Edelman & Tate entering 2011.

Other WRs on roster: Randy Moss, Torry Holt, Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Isiah Stanback, Sam Aiken, Brandon Tate, David Patten, Matthew Slater

4th Round (113 overall) - Aaron Hernandez TE Florida

Yet another Florida Gator to the Patriots. Hernandez fell to the fourth round due to unspecified off the field issues. The Patriots must of felt that he was the best player available at 113 overall having drafted Gronkowski in the 2nd. He is a bit undersized for a tight end at 6'2" 245 pounds, but is an extremely athletic pass catcher. The knock on Hernandez's game is his inability to block, which means the rookie will have a steep learning curve. He finished the year with 68 receptions for 850 yards and 5 touchdowns at Florida and could provide a nice red zone target for a team that struggled in that regard last season.

Other TEs on roster: Alge Crumpler, Rob Gronkowski

5th Round (150 overall) - Zoltan Mesko P Michigan

Built like a linebacker at 6'4" 240 pounds, Zoltan was the first punter taken in the draft in true Belichickian style. The Patriots continue to address special teams via the draft (K Stephen Gostkowski and long snapper Jake Ingram) and may have found their punter of the future. A four year starter at Michigan, Mesko averaged 44.5 yards per punt and didn't have a single one blocked in 2009. It is also interesting to note that Mesko has a history of punting in games with bad weather conditions, which he's sure to be exposed to in New England

Here are the Patriots remaining picks:
6th Round (205th Overall) - Ted Larsen C NC State
7th Round (208th Overall) - Thomas Welch OT Vanderbilt
7th Round (247th Overall) - Brandon Deaderick DL Alabama
7th Round (248th Overall) - Kade Weston DL Georgia
7th Round (250th Overall) - Zac Robinson QB Oklahoma State

Each of these players will battle for backup spots on the roster with the holdovers from last season and those that don't make it may be ticketed for the practice squad.

MORE: The Patriots acquired Carolina's second round pick next season in exchange for a third round choice during this year's draft. The team is now stacked for the 2011 draft with two first rounders and two second rounders. Only a year away!

The Patriots also made an interesting signing this weekend in defensive lineman Gerard Warren. The former third overall selection in the 2001 draft, Warren has bounced around the league for 10 years with Cleveland, Denver, and Oakland. It is expected that he will compete for snaps at defensive end opposite Ty Warren in Jarvis Green's old spot. He's a wide body that will take up some blockers against the run and has 32 career sacks.

Exciting times for the Patriots. Which acquisition are you most excited about from this past weekend?