2011 NFL Draft Results: Patriots Make Two Shocking Third Round Selections

It's official: Bill Belichick and New England Patriots are the most unpredictable team in the National Football League. 

After completing a trade with the Houston Texans for the the 73rd overall pick to set themselves up with back-to-back draft picks in the third round. 

With those two draft picks, the New England Patriots made two shocking, yet bold, selections: Running back Steven Ridley and quarterback Ryan Mallett. 

The most audacious selection, Ridley out of LSU, was very surprising considering that the Patriots just drafted Cal running back Shane Vereen with the 56th selection, but their second pick of the back-to-back certainly shocked the football world. 

Many experts, including myself, speculated that the Patriots were going to target a quarterback to be a potential replacement for Tom Brady in the future—definitely a scary thought for Patriots' fans. But, who would have guessed that Belichick and New England's draft team would have drafted Arkansas' Ryan Mallett? 

Mallett was projected as one of the 2011 draft class' top quarterbacks, until reported character issues arose around the NFL scouting combine, and his draft stock plummeted—and it plummeted right into New England's hands in the third round. 

The two-year player at Arkansas also spent one season at Michigan, before transferring, is the tallest quarterback in 2011 NFL draft standing in at 6'6". 

Mallett possesses the perfect quarterback frame and has an NFL-ready arm. His arm is so "huge" that it's been compared to JaMarcus Russell's—hopefully Mallett wont end up as a bust like Russell did.

With the two additions of Ridley and Mallett, the Patriots have definitely shocked the entire Patriots' fan base.

Questions will arise in the near future if Mallett is the future quarterback of the New England Patriots and if this is the end of running back BenJaruvs Green-Ellis' time with the Patriots.

Only time will tell—but for now Pats' fans, start to get excited for all the talent that Belichick and company have accumulated so far this draft, as all of the prospects selected so far have a ton of upside.

This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @         TonySantorsa.