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Five names to keep an eye on at No. 33 04.29.11 at 9:33 am ET
By DJ Bean

With the Patriots holding three picks in the second round (Nos. 33, 56 and 60) and two more in the third (Nos. 60 and 74), the Patriots have plenty of options on Friday. They’ll kick things off with the first pick of the second round, though Bill Belichick showed everyone Thursday that you can never count out the possibility of a trade.

This is an interesting situation for the Patriots. Generally a top pick in the second round can be flipped for a future first. With the Pats already possessing two first-rounders in 2012, would they actually consider going for another?

Assuming the Pats don’t move, here’s a quick look at names to consider with the 33rd pick.

Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

Bowers was the first overall pick in many early mock drafts, including ours, but knee issues have hurt his stock. Even if he’s healthy, he would not be a fit on the Patriots line given that he measures in at under 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds. He was a bit of a one-year wonder, but his one year (this past season) featured 15.5 sacks. He is one of the most talented pass-rushers in this draft, but system-wise is not a fit unless that Pats feel he can play outside linebacker.

Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona

Reed is a bit more logical of a choice than Bowers when it comes to the Patriots. He may not have as much upside, but he is a better fit as an outside linebacker in their scheme. His height (6-foot-2 4/8) might scare the Patriots away. Reed, 24, had seven sacks in his senior year.

As for a history lesson, the Patriots did a pretty good job in taking an undersized Arizona defensive end back in 1996 with Tedy Bruschi.

Brandon Harris, CB, Miami

The Patriots have spent a pick in the first two rounds on a cornerback in each of the last three years. Two of them (Devin McCourty and Darius Butler) are still with the team, while they ended the Terrence Wheatley era early. At 5-foot-9 and 193 pounds, Harris has the prototypical size of a Pats corner. Harris came out after his junior year, but given that he was a three-year starter, there are not experience issues.

“Every year my confidence rose,” he said at the combine. “I’m at the point right now that my confidence is so high and I believe in myself a ton.”

Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland

Smith is a major risk/reward pick. He could be great downfield threat or he could be the next Darrius Heyward-Bey. While Smith’s speed has led to comparisons to his former Maryland teammate, he doesn’t want anyone getting him confused with the former Raiders first-rounder.

“I feel like it’s ignorant for people to compare two completely different people,” he said at the combine. “Just because we went to the same school doesn’t mean anything. If he didn’t go to Maryland or I didn’t go to Maryland, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. At the end of the day, we’re two completely different people. I went on a completely different path than he did.”

Smith had 1,055 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior.

Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech

Williams is another one-year wonder, and though he may be one of the more overrated players in the entire draft, he could be an option if the Pats decide to go with a running back. A sophomore, Williams has less mileage than the other backs in this draft, though he followed his 1,655-yard freshman year with an unproductive 477-yard sophomore campaign that was slowed by injury and decreased carries.

Read More: 2011 NFL Draft, Brandon Harris, Brooks Reed, Ryan Williams Print  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • http://stevedakota.com dakota

    Greg Little update

    http://www.stevedakota.com/2011/04/greg-little-update-day-2-nfl-draft/

    It is widely noted my man crush for the PATS to draft Greg Little the WR out of UNC….so after the first round went by the board and 3 wr’s taken (AJ Green – Julio Jones- Jon Baldwin) I see about 3-6 wide-outs drafted in the 2nd round …

    The good news is ….he wont be one of the next 3 or 4 taken in round 2 unless one of the teams love Little like I do…. Thus if Im the PATS I can take him with the 28th pick (60th overall) in round 2 or their first pick in round 3 which is #10 (74th overall) — either way we have a great shot at getting a slot WR that with Brady throwing to him will haul in 50 plus catches a year and be great in

  • StuAndrews

    Watching the PATS never trade up and continuously trade down is BORING. WHy is it that the PATS are the only team that got booted in round 1 in the playoffs that TRADES DOWN…..year in and year out. How can you get the ELITE players if your constantly trading down. Are not the ELITE players chosen higher in the draft? Do we need to fill 100 positions or do we need to find some STUDS to fill a few positions? Bill is managing this like we are an expansion team.

  • RickterScale

    Do you want a team that is exciting on draft day, or a team competing for Super Bowls for 10 straight years?

  • Patsfanroach

    I do not care if it is boring. Seriously look at the Dynasty team. Here are the 1st round picks leading up to the SB run:
    92-Eugene Chung (gone by 2001)
    93-D. Bledsoe (on bench most of 2001 gone by 2003)
    94-Willie Mac (def part of the run)
    95-Ty Law (def part of the run)
    96-Terry Glenn (only played in 4 games in 2001 gone by 2003)
    97-Chris Canty (gone before 2001)
    98-Robert Edwards (gone after rookie year :o ( )
    99-Damien Woody (part of 2001-gone for 2003)
    -Andy Katzenmoyer (left team before 2001)
    00-No 1st round picks
    01-Richrd Seymour (STUD MAJOR PART OF DYNASTY)
    02-Daniel Graham (Def part of dynasty)
    03- T. Warren (on last SB team)

    So looking at this list the team was not built in the first round. It was later rounds 2nd and 3rd were huge and that 6th rounder named Brady might have been the best pick in the history of the NFL. Those who want the team to build in the 1st round need to look at this closely. Really on three or four of these 1st round guys were key to the dynasty. Relax and enjoy the ride. In Bill we trust!

  • TD

    Ask a team that tied up millions on a 1st round bust how that worked for them. You miss on a 2, you move on, it doesn’t destroy your cap for years.

    I’ll pass on the 1st round every year for 3 or 4 #2′s. Don’t tell me you can’t find good/great players after round 1, the NFL is drowning in them.

    Brady, Light, Koppen, Branch, Faulk, Gronk, Chung, Vollmer, Cassel, Samuel, Green, Givens, Bruschi and that’s just off the top of my head and just the recent Pats.

    7 Division titles, 4 AFC Championshis, 3 SB wins, and a 112-48 record! Remember what things were like before he got here? I do. Bill can trade down whenever the hell he wants as far as I’m concerned.

    Stop complaining and enjoy the ride!

  • Jim

    Sheard Hankerson Offensive Lineman in 3rd round I’d like to say Brooks but Sheard is a cold weather player

  • shack

    do you call one and done competing in the playoffs every year! i don”t no elite pass rusher same result one and done

  • Magnum PI

    People that say “In bill we trust” = morons

    As for the Pats…Cam Jordan would have been nice……

  • Justin

    So there are no elite players after the first round? Why waste time with rounds 2-7??? According to some of you, Brady was a waste, since the Pats didnt trade up and grab him in the first round, LMFAO. Hernandez and Gronkowski were terrible last year, because they werent first rounders. Sebastian Vollmer, complete waste of space, he wasnt drafted in round 1, right?

    Some of you need to relax, and let the Pats brain trust do what they think is best. You guys heard some tool on tv say that “Random Player” was a game changer, and thus you tihnk the Pats just NEED to move up and draft him. Remember, for every 1 of those cant miss players, you have 5 Ryan Leafs…

    I was a little disapointed that New England passed on a few of the available players, but to be honest, I always am. It is just the way it is. Why pay first round money for 2nd round talent, or 3rd talent, etc. That is the statement the Pats made last night. There are very few “elite” players in a draft, and the Pats havent been afraid of grabbing them when they see them (Seymour and Wilfork come to mind).

    I would much rather be disapointed on draft day, than to see another Laurence Maroney debacle. If the Pats had traded down and skipped on Maroney, all of you would have bitched about them trading down, lol

  • Patsfanroach

    Magnum. F OFF. Moron? For trusting in a coach that came here and brought this franchise (one of the worst in all sports before this decade) THREE Superbowl championships? Who is the moron here? Because you know more than one of the GREATEST COACHES IN THE HISTORY OF THE NFL? Yeah Jordan would have been “nice” no chit! They set themselves at the LT position and or the RT position for probably the REST OF BRADY’S CAREER here! Are you the same “moron” who hated the McCourty pick last year? Best corner in NE since Ty Law. Could be as good when it is all said and done.

    I do trust Bill. He has nothing but win here, I am guessing you are under 30 and do not remember the days of futility in the early 90′s? Or maybe a fair weather fan who only shows up for a winner? There was a reason we got Drew Bledsoe with the first pick…we had the worst team in the NFL. Bill. along with an amazing ownership team and let’s face it a hodge podge of assistant coaches, scouts and staffers who changed with the leaves of New England, has managed to keep this team VERY competitive for over a decade!

    So I ask who is the moron? A real fan who has spent hours watching this team in the good and bad seasons or a PI who makes blanket statements about a fan base that has seen this team through the thick and thin of what is the New England Patriots?

    Give the man and the team a break. They made one pick last night and added a 2nd rounder this year and traded first rounders to get it. I understand that they missed out on Matthews last year. they also avoided Gholston too. They will address their needs and I bet they do it tonight with their FIVE picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds! You do not get that many picks by just making your picks. You sacrifice a pick or two to get more…getting more picks in the early rounds=more impact players.

    I for one am looking forward to what they do in the next few hours. Even if they trade down and disappoint those of you looking for the ” sexy picks”.

    IN BILL I TRUST!

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