Jedi mind tricks

Bill Belichick was either at his most evil-genius on the second and third nights of the NFL Draft... or he's just been wearing his hood a little too tight around his head.

After grabbing two very likely starters on defense in Dont'a Hightower and Chandler Jones, the Patriots had only two more picks left in the final six rounds. Both of those picks had to be defensive backfield. The first pick was the 16th in the second round, 48th overall. There were still lots of solid defensive backs available. Casey Hayward of Vandy. Trumaine Johnson of Montana. Jamell Fleming of Oklahoma. All would have been good picks. Belichick went with safety Tavon Wilson of Illinois. I had been doing some pre-draft studying this year, something I rarely do. I couldn't remember Wilson. I went to NFL.com and clicked on his name. Each player up to that point had a profile discussing strengths and weakness. When I clicked on Wilson's name there was his photo ... and nothing else. NFL.com hadn't heard of him either. Turns out he is big and fast and never misses a snap. But at the 48th pick? At least it was another defensive guy.

The Pats' next pick was the 62nd overall. Belichick hadn't traded down yet. You knew he must have been getting itchy to start stockpiling picks all over the draft. And so he did. He sent the pick to Green Bay for a third and fifth-rounder. The Pats finished out the second day of the draft by using that third-rounder on Arkansas end Jake Bequette. Another 6-5 defender. He's a four-year starter and had 10 sacks last season. Four picks used on a linebacker, a safety, and two D linemen. So far so good.

Day three looked to be a very brief one for the Patriots, owning just a single pick in the fifth round. When the pick arrived it was announced that Belichick had traded it -- the 163rd pick -- to Green Bay (again) for three picks. A sixth-rounder and two in the seventh. Can any other GM turn one pick into three that late in the draft? It has to be a Jedi mind trick. "You do want the 163rd pick in the draft. You want it so bad that you will give me all your other picks. Move along."

So suddenly the Pats were going to be very busy in the final hours of the draft. A draft in which they were already one of the dominant stories. Belichick used the next two picks on ... defense. First he took Ohio St. defensive back Nate Ebner. Another guy NFL.com had never heard of. Seems he didn't play much defense. But he projects as a solid special teams guy. I think Belichick was just having fun with all the experts on ESPN and the NFL Network. There was more fun to come. With their first pick in the seventh and final round (#224), Belichick did it again. He took Nebraska corner Alfonzo Dennard. The same Alfonzo Dennard who was recently charged with assaulting a police officer. Dennard was projected as a possible second-rounder. Punching the man in the face will send your value plummeting. No team wanted to touch him. Not even the Bengals. So there was a talented defensive back with a slightly-troubled past sitting there in round seven. It's a no-brainer. And a possible coup.

The Pats started the draft with six picks and to me the only way to go was defense, defense, defense, defense, defense, and defense. After much wheeling and dealing the Pats had made six picks ... all on defense. Thanks.

But the Pats had added one more pick, the 235th. One more chance at a defender. Then the pick came in. Wide receiver Jeremy Ebert of Northwestern.

A wide receiver? My all-defense draft was spoiled. But wait. A wide receiver? Maybe he can play defensive back like Julian Edelman or Troy Brown.

Maybe it was another defensive pick.

Only the hooded one knows for sure.