2011 NFL Draft Results: Patriots Draft RB Shane Vereen with 56th Overall Pick

After the New England Patriots passed on running back Mark Ingram with their 28th overall pick when they traded it away to the New Orleans Saints, they got a running back in Shane Vereen in the second round with their 56th overall pick. 

The former Cal Golden Bear is one of the most well-rounded running backs in the 2011 NFL draft.

Vereen has been compared to Baltimore Ravens' Ray Rice and he's got a lot of upside. 

The 5'10" and 210 lbs. running back is great in-between the tackles and has no problem beating pursuing linebackers to the corner with his above average speed—Vereen recorded a respectable 4.47 forty-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine. 

Vereen is a very physical runner as he runs through tacklers and plays with a very low center of gravity which causes many defenders trouble bringing him down. 

During his three-year career at Cal, Vereen was a very productive player. Vereen leaves Cal after averaging 5.1 yards per-carry and ran for an impressive 1,167 yards while scoring 13 touchdowns. 

Vereen is very similar to BenJarvus Green-Ellis as he's not very explosive but he will pound the ball down the defense's throat. Last season at Cal, Vereen only recorded two runs over 20 yards which is fairly amazing considering the monstrous amount of yards he accumulated in 2010. 

Not only does Vereen turn New England's backfield into a three-headed monster with Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, but he'll also become one of Tom Brady's new receivers. 

Vereen is very effective coming out of the backfield and going out for a pass as he reeled in at least 20 receptions in all three of his seasons in college—which is a huge plus as he'll adapt will in New England's spread offense. He's at his best when he catches a screen, so expect New England to install a new screen pass package into their offense next season. 

Overall, I believe that this is a quality selection for the Patriots. Vereen will bring depth into New England's backfield and he'll become a very valuable player as he's a dual threat back.

After passing on Ingram in the first, it appears that Bill Belichick and New England's draft team made the right decision as they now possess the draft's best dual-threat running back—something that's valued highly by New England.

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