Pats Finalize Draft with 3 More Picks, Trade

The New England Patriots continued to accumulate young players at positions of need Saturday, sifting through the late rounds of the NFL Draft in search of diamonds in the rough.

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The day started with the Patriots holding the fifth pick in the fourth  round, the 102nd overall selection.  Acquired in the trade that sent the 29th pick to the Minnesota Vikings, the pick was used on TCU receiver Josh Boyce, the second receiver the team selected in the 2013 draft.

Boyce (right) left TCU after his junior season after completing his degree a year early.  His draft stock was on the rise after he ran the 40-yard-dash in 4.38 seconds at the Scouting Combine, a time made even more impresssive by the fact that Boyce was running on a broken pinky toe in his right foot.

At 5'11" tall and a sturdy 206 pounds, Boyce has the speed and strength to operate on the outside and over the middle, making him a versatile weapon.  Boyce is expected to provide depth at multiple receiving spots and could also be used as a Kick Returner.

With no picks between 102 and 226, the Patriots had a lengthy span of down time in between picks.  They used that free time on improving their running back corps via trade, shipping Kick Returner Jeff Demps and a seventh round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Running Back LeGarrette Blount.

The 247-pound Blount is a load to handle for opposing defenses, rushing for 1,007 yards as a rookie in 2010 before seeing his role diminished in his next two seasons in Tampa Bay.  He has had some character issues in the past but has been reliable away from the field in his professional career.  The Patriots likely see Blount as a potential goal line back, but it will be hard for him to see a lot of snaps because he is not a good receiver or pass protector, two things the Patriots value heavily in their Running Backs.

Demps had fallen out of favor with the front office after expressing a desire to pursue a career in track and field while also maintaining an NFL career.  The pick included in the deal was number 229, also acquired in the Vikings trade Thursday.

With the 226th pick, the Patriots selected pass rusher Michael Buchanan from Illinois.  Buchanan is nearly 6'6" tall and 255 pounds, and has good speed and length.  He was projected to go in the fifth round, so the Patriots got good value on him in the seventh round.

Nine picks later, the Patriots selected Rutgers Linebacker Steve Beauharnais (the third Rutgers defender they selected) with their final pick of the 2013 draft.  Beauharnais started 41 consecutive games for Rutgers to close out his career, and was a consistent cog in a defense that the Patriots were obviously impressed with.  Both Buchanan and Beauharnais will be competing for roster spots.

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Coach Bill Belichick expressed his eagerness to see his rookies on the field instead of on a draft board.  He said he felt the program Greg Schiano (now with the Buccaneers) built at Rutgers is "similar in a lot of ways" to what they Patriots look for in their players, both on and off the field.  He also cited defensive back Devin McCourty and defensive lineman Justin Francis, both Rutgers alumni, as links to the new crop of Scarlet Knights making the trip north.  Belichick's son Steve also played at Rutgers with the three players and now serves as a coaching assistant for his father.

Belichick also downplayed the challenge of rebuilding their entire receiving group this offseason, pointing out that they did the same thing for their Tight Ends in 2010 and their Running Backs in 2011.  The Patriots and their fans can only hope that the overhaul at Wide Receiver goes as smoothly and successfully as the other two.