Another second-round pick, another cornerback.

With tons of speculation that New England would trade No. 33, the Patriots ended up selecting Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling.

While many thought Jabaal Sheard or Brooks Reed would be the top choice, Dowling isn't a bad move at all.

The 6-foot-1, 198-pounder has great measurables and would have been a first-round pick if he hadn't been injured his senior year.

At the combine, Dowling ran an impressive 4.40 forty and registered a 38-inch vertical jump.

Pairing Dowling with Pro Bowler Devin McCourty and returning veteran Leigh Bodden gives the Patriots some nice depth for the present and future at corner.

If he can stay healthy, Dowling and McCourty will be a great tandem.

And the winner is...  Stephen, who scored a whopping 5 out of a possible 36 points!  What can I say, expert analysts, we are not. Then again, I doubt many of the "experts" did much better. 

On a final note of self-deprecation, if you remove my Cam Newton #1 pick, and my Mike Pouncey #15 pick (which all four of us hit), I nailed just one of the other 30 selections.  Awesome.

Stephen: 5 points

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

5. Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith, OT, USC

15. Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey, G/C, Florida

Rick: 4 points

1. Carolina Panthers - QB Cam Newton - Auburn

4. Cincinnati Bengals - WR A.J Green - Georgia

15. Miami Dolphins - OG Mike Pouncey - Florida

32. Green Bay Packers - OT Derek Sherrod - Mississippi State

Derek: 3 points

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith, OT, USC

15. Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey, G/C, Florida

Jason: 3 points

3. Buffalo Bills – DT Marcell Dareus

8. Tennessee Titans – QB Jake Locker

15. Miami Dolphins – OG Mike Pouncey

As round two gets underway at 6 p.m., the Patriots are in the enviable position of selecting at 33, 56 and 60.

While the team did pick up another first-rounder in 2012 and added Nate Solder, Friday may be the most important day in recent memory.

New England failed to address its greatest need – the pass rush – and most of the top five-technique players are off the board.

That said, the Pats are in prime position to add five quality players by the end of the day, and getting an outside linebacker/defensive end is clearly the most critical remaining need.

Here are some of the best prospects available on Friday:

Linebackers:

1. Jabaal Sheard – Classic size/speed combo to move to 3-4 OLB. Good strength, aggression, leadership and production. Would like to see him taken with pick 33.

2. Brooks Reed – Solid production and combine-best 1.54 10-yard split. Not as good a run defender as Sheard, but perhaps greater pass rush upside.

3. Akeem Ayers – Versatile playmaker at UCLA. Doesn’t have elite measurables or instincts.

4. Justin Houston – Good production in the SEC. Great size/speed combo. Character, work ethic and positional fit concerns.

Running backs/receivers:

1. Mikel LeShoure – Could be in play for the 56^th pick. Strong runner with good size and strength.

2. Ryan Williams – Like his versatility and running style. Also could be available near the end of Round 2.

3. Leonard Hankerson – Not a deep threat, but has the size and adequate speed to be a good No. 2 receiver. Red-zone threat.

4. Titus Young – Explosive deep threat. Would be in consideration with 60^th pick.

Derek: I think the first round was fairly underwhelming for Patriots fans, but that's usually the case each year as Trader Bill either moves his pick back or into next year.  Nate Solder was a solid pickup with #17 when you consider he easily would have been off the board by the time pick #28 rolled around.  The Patriots seem pretty high on him, so we should expect big things.  He should add some stability to an offensive line that has a lot of questions at the moment. 

It's tough to end the evening without any pass rush support, but the Patriots now have three picks in the 2nd round to address that area, so we'll just have to wait until tomorrow.

As far as the #28 trade goes, I don't think the Patriots missed out on much by passing on Ingram.  I would have been excited if we had picked him, but there's a strong corps of backs to be had in later rounds.  I like that New England has two 1st round picks again next year as it gives the team added flexibility and it will be fun to speculate again next April.  It would have been nice if it were a "worse" team than New Orleans as the pick will likely be in the late 20's again, but picking up a future 1st and a 2nd this year is good value for that pick, especially considering that the Pats will lead off with pick #33 tomorrow. 

Overall, I expect to hear some disappointment from fans, but I think that when the dust settles on the 2nd and 3rd rounds, we will see a lot of needs filled.

With Alabama running back Mark Ingram still on the board, the Patriots opted to trade away their No. 28 pick to the Saints who snatched up the former Heisman Trophy winner.

In doing so, the Pats traded the 28th pick for the Saints' second-round pick (No. 56) and their 2012 first-rounder.

Belichick didn't do anything to deviate from his past draft record of trading into the future, and he continued his trend of manipulating the draft.

Ingram would have filled a huge need and was a great value this late in the first round, but the Patriots are now armed with three second-rounders with prospects like Muhammad Wilkerson, Cameron Heyward, Jabaal Sheard and Brooks Reed still on the board.

While the Saints won't be picking high in the draft, it can never hurt to have two first-round selections next year.

However, in order to make this draft a success, the Pats will have to hit it big with defensive front-seven players on Friday with picks 33, 56 and 60.

With the 17th pick in the 2011 Draft, the Patriots select: Nate Solder, offensive tackle, Colorado.

To be honest, I don't like the pick. With California defensive end Cameron Jordan sitting there at No. 17, I thought Belichick would have jumped all over him.

Solder has a tremendous amount of upside, perhaps more than any offensive linemen in the draft, but he's raw and needs to add strength to be an effective run blocker.

He is more of a finessee left tackle, but does possess great size at 6'8, 319 pounds with elite athleticism (4.96 forty).

He could be a franchise blindside protector if he adds strength, but at this spot in the draft I think the Pats should have gone with Jordan or even Boston College tackle Anthony Castonzo. 

Maybe Belichick will trade up from 28 to get a front-seven defender, but overall you can't fault the Pats for taking an offensive lineman with the uncertainty at the position.

First five picks went as expected with Cam Newton, Von Miller, Marcell Dareus, A.J. Green and Patrick Peterson coming off the board in that order.

However, the Falcons executed a blockbuster deal with the Browns, moving all the way from No. 27 to No. 6 to select Alabama WR Julio Jones.

The Browns made out well, gaining an extra second- and fourth-round pick in 2011 Draft and Atlanta's 2012 first- and fourth-round picks.

The 49ers went with an edge rusher in Missouri's Aldon Smith before the Titans shocked everyone by taking Jake Locker at No. 8.

Dallas seemed to work the clock for a trade, but ultimately took USC's Tyron Smith before the Jaguars traded up six spots to take Blaine Gabbert.

The Patriots are in a prime position to take a defensive front-seven player with Cameron Jordan, Robert Quinn and Ryan Kerrigan all on the board at pick No. 12.

With the draft roughly three hours away, rumors are swirling and the Patriots are right in the thick of things.

Reports have surfaced suggesting the Pats may be interested in trading up to the Cowboy’s No. 9 pick to select California defensive end Cameron Jordan.

There have also been rumors the team may be in play for Cleveland’s No. 6 overall pick.

As much as I like Jordan, if Bill Belichick trades into the top 10, I think he’d be better suited to take Robert Quinn or Aldon Smith considering the depth at the five-technique position later in the first round.

UPDATE: Latest rumors have the Patriots trading up to Washington's No. 10 pick to select Robert Quinn if he's on the board. Quinn has been the player most often linked to the Patriots as the best fit for the 3-4 OLB spot.

What are your thoughts on the Pats trading into the top 10?

Earlier this week, all four contributors to the blog posted their individual "picks" for how they see the first round of tonight's NFL draft unfolding.  Today's piece will be a little bit different in that it's the "official" mock draft of Foxboro Blog and a combined effort from the four of us.  We each took turns making picks round-robing-style and came up with the mock draft below.  Stephen's picks will be in blue, Rick's in Red, Jason's in Green, and Derek's in Orange.  It's an interesting look at how tonight's draft may play out, and, after viewing the results, I think Patriots fans could be pretty happy if that's the case. 

1. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
New regime has no ties to Jimmy Clausen, who flopped in his first year as a starter. Newton has the biggest upside of any player in the draft.

2. Denver Broncos - Marcel Dareus - DT, Alabama
Under new coach John Fox, this team has to address defense first, especially against the run. Denver was 31st against the run last season, and Dareus is a run stopper that can fit right in on the defensive line. Also, he knows how to get after the quarterback, so he can be used in versatile ways. One of the best defensive players, if not the best in this draft.

3. Buffalo Bills -- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
The Bills would probably love to shore up their run defense with this pick, but Peterson is the best player available by a wide margin. He would fill a need (Drayton Florence is a free agent), and Peterson has the raw physical tools and ball skills to someday rival the likes of Revis and Asomugha.

4. Cincinnati Bengals - Blaine Gabbert, QB Missouri
With Carson Palmer continuing his refusal to play another game for the Bengals, Cincinnati drafts theist NFL-ready quarterback in the draft.

5. Arizona Cardinals - Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
Arizona would do cartwheels if Miller is still on the board. He's an explosive, elite athlete who will step in and be a double-digit sack artist in the Cardinals' 3-4 system.

6. Cleveland Browns - A.J Green, WR, Georgia
Colt McCoy is in need of a huge vertical weapon downfield. Green makes big plays and has maybe the best hands in this draft. Plus, he can make a direct impact right away as we saw at Georgia where the team struggled on offense until his return from a suspension in the tough SEC.

7. San Francisco 49ers - Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
The 49ers have a well-documented need at quarterback, but I'm not sure they're sold on anyone in this draft class except Gabbert. Quinn would give the San Fran defense an elite pass-rushing defensive end capable of taking some of the pressure off the secondary. If not for his medical concerns, he could have gone in the Top 3.

8. Tennessee Titans - Nick Fairely, DT, Auburn
With no reasonable QB available at #8, the Titans go defense. They benefit by picking up Fairely who is a steal at this spot.  Were it not for his character concerns, it's possible that he could have been the top pick.

Well, this is it. The last time we take a look at other mock drafts until the real one begins on Thursday night. With the news of Judge Nelson putting an injunction on the lockout, it makes the draft that much more exciting. In this edition, we take a look at some prospects we highlighted in earlier versions as well as giving their take and my take on the prospects.

NEPatriotsdraft.com

Pick #17: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

Their Take: Amukamara can play corner and safety – and Coach Belichick has let it be known that you can’t have enough quality defensive backs. If the top defensive ends are all picked in the top half of the draft, expect Belichick to pull another shocker. That said, it would certainly be ideal if JJ Watt or Muhammad Wilkerson were to fall to this spot.

Pick #28: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

Their Take: Castonzo is a strong but nimble blocker that should help solidify the Patriots offensive line, which has some holes. The former BC left tackle can play guard or tackle, and the Patriots love the versatility.

My Take: Out of the two prospects listed, I like Castonzo more because he is one of the top offensive linemen in this draft. Like the website said, he is a very versatile player and a local prospect. The Patriots’ offensive line has a ton of holes with Matt Light and Logan Mankins potentially leaving and Stephen Neal retiring. I would be thrilled to see Castonzo at 28, but I think he is going to be picked at worst in the top 15. As for Prince, I am high on this royal corner. He has dropped off of most boards in recent weeks, while Jimmy Smith is on the rise as the second best corner behind Patrick Peterson. Smith is the better man on man corner while Prince is better in zone coverage. However, as good as these prospects are, I don’t see New England taking a cornerback till late in the draft with the success of Devin McCourty in 2010 and the return of Leigh Bodden in 2011.