The Perfect Draft: New England Patriots

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

In 2008, the New England Patriots became the first team in over 20 years to win 11 regular season games and fail to qualify for the postseason. Considering they lost their franchise player -- Tom Brady -- just about five minutes into the season, forcing them to turn to a quarterback who hadn't started a game in eight years -- Matt Cassel -- an 11-5 campaign isn't all that disappointing.

With Brady back under center in 2009, the Patriots look to be a strong bet to return to the playoffs, especially if they address the one or two holes that remain on the roster.


Larry English. The Patriots used their first-round pick (No. 10 overall) a year ago on Tennessee middle linebacker Jarod Mayo, and they were rewarded with the NFL's defensive rookie of the year. Heading into the 2009 draft, the Patriots still have a hole at linebacker, as they need a disruptive force to come off the edge and rush the quarterback.

In 2008, the Patriots received just 10 sacks from the linebacker position, while four of them belonged to veteran Mike Vrabel, who was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this offseason. English, who played defensive end at Northern Illinois, would fit in as a rush linebacker in the Patriots' defensive scheme.


When Asante Samuel signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the 2008 season, it left the Patriots with a glaring hole in their secondary. They addressed it somewhat this offseason with the signings of Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs. They'll be nice short-term additions to the roster, but the Patriots could still use a long-term solution. Illinois' Vontae Davis and Connecticut's Darius Butler might be worth a look.

The Patriots have been using a running back by committee approach the past couple of seasons, while they added the seemingly ageless Fred Taylor to the group this offseason. If the Patriots want to look for a young, long-term feature back they might have an opportunity to grab Ohio State's Chris Wells or Connecticut's Donald Brown.