By drafting Wheatley, the Patriots drafted a corner who does two things. Runs and hits. Despite his lack of size, Wheatley loves to go for the big hit. He usually connects on these hits, but when he doesn't, he tends to be smart and wrap up his opponent.
The big problem for Wheatley is that he relies on his speed too much. Instead of giving up the big play, he sometimes likes to play it safe and just go stride for stride with fast wide receivers. The problem with this, is when a receiver makes a quick move on a comeback route to the ball, Wheatley's left downfield.
His lack of size at 5'10 with shoes on doesn't help his case, but if anyone can work magic with undersized cornerbacks, it's the Patriots.
After trading back with the Saints in the first round, the Patriots were able to pick up another third-round pick. With this pick, the Patriots selected Shawn Crable out of Michigan. Out of all of the Patriots' picks, this had to be the least questionable. Crable fits New England's scheme to a tee, and may eventually replace Colvin in the long run.
At 6'5" 245lbs., Crable is undeniably the perfect OLB in the 3-4 scheme. He's quick to make plays in the backfield, and should be significantly efficient at rushing the passer from the outside. His leadership at Michigan shows that he knows how to verbally lead a team to victories throughout the season.
The only problem with Crable may be the fact that he was nowhere to be seen on some plays during his last year at Michigan. If he can keep himself in the game, he should be an integral part of their defense next year.
With their second third-round pick, the Patriots selected San Diego State quarterback Kevin O'Connell. Yes, I did say quarterback. Don't worrym Patriots fans. O'Connell will probably become Brady's longtime backup, or trade bait for another team once he progresses in his skill set.
As of now, O'Connell's skill-set contains something Jon Gruden would drool over. O'Connell has the innate ability to run the ball and get away from blitzing defenses on more than the frequent occassion. His arm release isn't NFL-ready just yet. Think Aaron Rodgers coming out of Cal. But his arm strength overall is still high. If Brady ever gets hurt, the Patriots at least have a backup now that has more upside than Matt Cassell.
With their fourth-round pick, New England again went to the cornerback well. Out of that, they pulled Jonathan Wilhite from Auburn. As a Tiger, Wilhite was excellent in coverage. His above average speed allows him to make up any distance between himself and the receiver.
Yet there are two problems with Wilhite, one small and one big. The small one, ironically enough, is his size. At barely 5'9", Wilhite can easily be blocked during running plays by bigger, stronger wide receivers. The positive for Wilhite, despite his size, is his leaping ability.
His vertical jump more than makes up for those high tosses that quarterbacks try to float over his head. And as I acknowledged before, if anyone can teach undersized cornerbacks how to defend, it's New England.
The bigger problem for Wilhite is injuries. While at Auburn, it seemed that he was out injured more than on the field playing. If he can stay healthy, watch out, he could become a future starter down the line for the Pats.
In the fifth round, the Patriots selected someone that would help on the third and sometimes most important aspect of the game...special teams. With that in mind, New England selected Matt Prater out of UCLA. Not to be confused with the veteran kicker and journeyman with the same name, Prater is a wide receiver.
The Patriots, however, will utilize him mostly on special-teams coverage and especially as a kick returner. New England hopes that Prater will give their potent offense even more of an advantage in a game where field position continues to play an increasingly critical role.
With their final pick in the sixth round, New England selected linebacker Bo Ruud out of Nebraska. Not to be confused with his brother, Buccaneer linebacker Barrett Ruud, Bo intends to create his own niche in the NFL. As of now, Bo is the ideal run plugging inside linebacker. For the Cornhuskers, Ruud was constantly penetrating the backfield to stop running backs in their tracks.
The problem with Ruud comes with his coverage skills, or lack thereof. As of now, Ruud doesn't have the hip movement that would help him excel in defending the passing game, so he should remain as a situational linebacker at least in the near future. I do, however, think Ruud can eventually develop into the steal of the draft for the Patriots, if he can develop his pass skills for them.
Going into the draft, the Patriots always seem to have the luxury of choosing the best player available (BPA) at any position. This year, with their losses, they had some serious holes to fill. As usual though, Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli are going into the season with fresh faces ready to contribute, and only a few questions about their secondary remaining unanswered.
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