NFL Draft Day 2 (4/25/04)

Remember the fourth round pick in 2004 the Patriots got from the Tebucky Jones trade last year? The Patriots used that selection to draft North Carolina safety Dexter Reid. Reid was a back to back All-ACC selection his junior and senior years nearly setting the school record for tackles. So why did he fall so far? North Carolina sucked this past season, going 2-10 and 1-7 in the ACC. Obviously its not all his fault but bad teams rarely get any press. If nothing else, going from the last place Tar Heels to the Superbowl champs is quite a jump. Hopefully he translates to the pro game but he's got a lot of competition at safety with Rodney Harrison, Eugene Wilson and now Guss Scott in the way.

                                                              113th overall - Dexter Reid

With their own fourth round pick, the Patriots selected Arkansas running back Cedric Cobbs. Cobbs was All-SEC for the Razorbacks that went 9-4 and victorious over Missouri in the Independence Bowl. He rushed for 1,320 yards and 10 touchdowns during the season including 27 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown in the Bowl game. Also, before a devastating injury in 2000, he was Cotton Bowl MVP after his freshman season in 1999. Cobbs definitely has talent but that injury in 2000 most likely prevented him from being a top pick in last year's draft. Still, he's got big game experience in multiple Bowl games so let's see how he fares with the defending Superbowl champs.

                                                   128th overall - Cedric Cobbs

With their fifth round pick, the Patriots added more depth at receiver with Florida State wide receiver PK Sam. Sam played sparingly his first two years at Florida State before making a game winning catch against Florida his junior year on national television. That propelled him to leave FSU early and declare for the draft. Because he's unpolished, he dropped all the way to the fifth round but the Patriots are taking a flyer on him. If it works out, they picked up yet another quality receiver with a later round pick, if it doesn't...just another wasted 5th round pick in a sea full of them.

                                                       164th overall - PK Sam

The Patriots had no sixth round pick due to signing Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Rodney Bailey off the restricted list. The Steelers picked Stanford center Drew Caylor 197th overall. If Caylor doesn't develop, this could be a heist considering Bailey's reputation and upside.

                                                   197th overall - ......Rodney Bailey??

With their final pick in the seventh round, the Patriots took Illinois cornerback Christian Morton. Morton was a special teams ace with Illinois in 2000 and 2001, especially in the return game as the Fighting Illini went 10-2 and lost to the LSU Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. His junior and senior years he switched to cornerback on two teams that went 6-18. Obviously teams with losing record are frowned upon in the NFL Draft so watching Morton get burned time and time again dropped his stock. Still, special teams are a place where Morton can make his name so let's see how he does come training camp.

                                                     233rd overall - Christian Morton

That concludes the second day of the draft for the Patriots. The first day of the draft was very successful finding studs so hopefully this draft was full of depth. Reid, Cobbs, Sam and Morton will be there for training camp and giving up a sixth rounder for Rodney Bailey could be a steal. The departures of guys on both sides of the ball open spots for competition. Come training camp, we'll find out who goes where.