2011 NFL Draft: Could Patriots Pad Offensive Line with First Pick?

Over the years, Bill Belichick has gained notoriety, and possibly the ire of some fans for his propensity to trade around the board in the NFL draft. Rarely does he make the "sexy pick." Instead, Belichick stays sound and sticks with value as his gauge for who and when to pick every year.

The Patriots have been wildly successful for over a decade, but some still struggle to swallow that simple fact. Those are the ones who think that finding "the missing piece" on defense will be the cure-all for a unit that saw its share of troubles last year.

Those are the ones who don't realize that the Patriots don't look to stop the bleeding. The Patriots look to build the muscle.

With that, the sound picks seem to be in the trenches. Everyone knows that a game is won and lost down front. Adding versatile, physical bodies is the best way to win that battle on both sides of the ball.

Adding an impact player down there would certainly help out the pass rush, which struggled to the tune of 67 sacks in a two-year stretch. A dominant five-technique defensive end could push the pocket and open things up for the linebackers behind him to make plays in space.

However, with the return of Ty Warren, Myron Pryor and Mike Wright from injury, the need on the defensive line seems diminished.

Factor in the retirement of Steve Neal, the uncertain contract situation of Logan Mankins, and the expiring contract of 32-year-old Dan Koppen, and the situation on offensive line is apparent. Even if the Patriots are able to rectify the Mankins dispute, the interior of the offensive line will certainly be a need by 2012.

You would be foolish to believe that Belichick doesn't look ahead to future needs when drafting.

While defensive end and outside linebacker may both be pressing needs now, offensive line could be just as pressing next year. Picking an offensive linemen high would avoid that potential problem.

Furthermore, offensive linemen present Belichick exactly the type of value he loves to get in the first round. Those are players who will have an impact on every offensive play and can help out in special teams. They are often players with versatility, especially this year with a lot of hybrid interior offensive linemen prospects (OG/C, OT/OG).

The return on a first-round offensive linemen would be much quicker than on a hybrid defensive end-outside linebacker pass-rusher prospect. That player would likely only be a two-down player in his rookie year, and could take awhile to grasp Belichick's complex system depending on his football IQ.

While there are only a couple of 3-4 defensive ends worth consideration at No. 17 (J.J. Watt and Cameron Jordan) and no sure-fire three-down contributors at outside linebacker, there are a wealth of offensive linemen available in the early 20s (Gabe Carimi, Derek Sherrod, Mike Pouncey, Anthony Castonzo, Nate Solder and others).

This allows Belichick to do the one thing he loves most on draft day—trade down. Whatever he acquires in that trade down would only add more value to the pick.

Fans and analysts alike may clamor for defensive front seven help, but perhaps the more Belichickian pick would be an offensive linemen.