Feeling the draft

After feeling a little chilly from the Pats' selections in the NFL Draft in rounds two and three, things warmed up a little bit with the team's final four picks.

Finally, a potential pass rusher.

I was scanning the list of players still left for the picking and one guy stood out: defensive end Markell Carter of Central Arkansas. I had never heard of him. I'm not a draft geek. He stood out because of these numbers -- 6-5, 252 pounds, with a 35-inch vertical leap. That caught my attention. Apparently it got the attention of those in the Pats war room because he was taken with the team's sixth round pick. He will most likely switch to outside linebacker. Scouting reports have him as very athletic and with lots of football smarts. I like the sound of that.

The Pats also added another defensive back, TCU's Malcolm Williams, and yet another tight end, Marshall’s Lee Smith. I have made my position on drafting tight ends (Tighten up) clear in the past. The team is already loaded at tight end with Gronkowski, Hernandez, and old man Crumpler. Maybe some day I'll understand the Hooded One's obsession with tight ends. Maybe some day. Word is Williams could be a good special teams player and Smith is a solid long-snapper, good attributes for late round draft picks.

CANNON: Feel-good story.

The other player the Pats took on the final day is a great story. And hopefully it will stay a great story. TCU's offensive lineman Marcus Cannon was the Pats fifth round pick. A lineman taken in the fifth round is usually not very noteworthy. But this one is.

Cannon was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma leading up to the draft, causing his stock to fall. The 6-5, 350 pound wall was seen as a potential second-round pick. But his illness scared teams away. So far his prognosis is good and he said after being selected “I feel awesome. I haven’t had any symptoms of my treatment that I’m supposed to have. Everything’s been feeling good.''

A scouting report on the National Football Report says he could dominate at right guard in the NFL. What a steal he could be. What a great story he already is.

The 2011 draft has come and gone. It was an interesting one for the Patriots. They passed on some high-profile pass rushers and, as usual, traded away several of their picks. And they made what turned out to be the most talked about pick of the draft in QB Ryan Mallett.

It was also an interesting one for the league since it was conducted in the shadow of the lockout. All the drafted players are now proud new members of NFL teams, but they aren't allowed to talk to their coaches or learn the playbook or even be fitted for a helmet. Maybe it's for the best the Pats didn't draft too many guys who they will need to make an immediate impact after all.