Day 3 of the NFL Draft? That sounds weird. But amazingly, after selecting five players the first two days, the Patriots still have another eight picks heading into today. Also quite shockingly, there are a lot of big names still on the board. Here is a look at a few players that the Patriots could draft somewhere in rounds 4-7.
- The Patriots could definitely look towards another tight end. There are plenty of options still on the board. If the Patriots want a TE/H-Back/Fullback option, there's Dorin Dickerson, Aaron Hernandez, and Dennis Pitta still available. If the Patriots want a blocking tight end, Brady Eldridge and Nate Byham are still on the board.
- I think the Patriots could still use another pass rusher. If he was still around at #113, the obvious choice would be Everson Griffen. However, Ricky Sapp, Lindsey Witten, Eric Norwood, O'Brien Schofield, and others still remain on the board.
- The main need the Patriots haven't addressed is along the defensive line. One player who the Patriots were interested in that remains on the board is Cam Thomas out of North Carolina. He is similar in size to Ron Brace, and could probably play the nose or 5-technique. The Patriots could also look towards more of a traditional 3-4 end. My pick would be Al Woods out of LSU. However, there are players such as Arthur Jones, Brandon Deaderick, and Vince Oghobaase still on the board as well.
- If the Patriots want a running back, there are still some intriguing names out there as well. There are power runners still available in Jonathan Dwyer and Charles Scott. There are guys with character concerns like Oregon's LeGarrette Blount. There are also speed/small school guys. One such player is Deji Karim of Southern Illinois.
Overall, I would expect the Patriots to continue their wheeling and dealing, and ultimately find a good mix of players. Don't be surprised if the Patriots unload or acquire a veteran such as Marcus Spears either.