My reaction to the Patriots draft selections

I LOVE what Belichick did in this year's draft! Besides their last pick, he drafted all defensive players... finally. And what may be a sign of the apocalypse is that Belichick actually traded up in the draft. I love the guys he chose and I'm going to tell you why...

Round 1: With the 21st pick they drafted DE Chandler Jones out of Syracuse. My favorite analyst, Mike Mayock, has been very high on this kid. The Pats have added a much needed pass rusher to their defense. I certainly don't think he'll be a starter by any means but in situations that call for pressure on the quarterback, you can bet you'll see Jones on the field.
At pick no. 25 the Pats selected LB Donta' Hightower out of Alabama. Hightower is a smart and talented football player. A two year captain at Bama. The Pats needed more depth at LB and they got it. We all know how Belichick loves versatility and with Hightower capable of playing inside and outside, that's what he got. Hightower should have an immediate impact.

Round 2: With the 48th overall pick the Pats drafted DB Tavon Wilson out of Illinois. This selection had draft experts shaking their heads. I, however, love the selection. Wilson brings versatility to the table as he can play safety, cornerback, and even come down in the box at linebacker. He's a solid tackler and adds depth to the Pats secondary. He can also play in the slot as the nickelback. He's 6'0 205 lbs and after hearing his press conference I like the attitude he has, he's definitely going to embrace the Patriot way.

Round 3: They drafted DE Jake Bequette out of Arkansas with the 90th overall pick. Another pass rush addition with this choice. He's got a high motor and he's a tough guy who's good at rushing the quarterback. 6'5" 274 lbs he's a fairly big guy, ran a 4.8 40 at the combine. In 2011 he was a first team All SEC Selection. Mike Mayock said he'll fit in well in the Patriots' locker room.

Round 6: With the 197th pick in the draft the Pats selected Safety Nate Ebner out of Ohio State. Prior to playing football at Ohio State, Ebner was a rugby star. Since he couldn't go to school and play rugby he chose to get an education and as a walk on at Ohio State he joined the football team. Ebner is going to make the Patriots squad as a special teams ace, which is what he excelled at as a Buckeye.

Round 7: During the sixth round I went on NFL.com to check out who the best available prospects were and when I saw Alfonzo Dennard hadn't been selected I was astonished. Little had did I know the incident he was involved in the week before. Regardless of that, the Patriots drafted CB Alfonzo Dennard out of Nebraska with the 224th pick in the draft. Dennard lacks the speed to play corner in the pros and with his intense physical play I expect Belichick to play him at safety. He's had his share of fights both on and off the field which caused him to fall to the seventh round but if there's a guy with character problems, the best team for him to be on is the New England Patriots. If Dennard can put that stuff behind him then the Pats could have a real good football player here.

Last but certainly not least, with the 235th pick the Pats selected WR Jeremy Ebert out of Northwestern. The only player drafted on the offensive side of the ball Ebert is entering a fairly packed receiving corp in New England. In free agency they signed Brandon Lloyd, Donte Stallworth, and Anthony Gonzalez to go with Welker, Branch, Edelman, Ochocinco and the two tightends. Ebert is probably going to have to shine on special teams in order to make the 53 man roster. I see him as a practice squad guy.