I don't think we have much need for depth this year, depedending on what happens with re-signing and extending teams. I see us using our day 1 picks and using our other picks to trade around or trade into 2011. But I can definitiely see an opening for pass rushing DE/OLBs, a RB and an OG at the very least. You want to stay ahead of the curve and not draft only when there's a huge hole, as it usually takes a year for prospects to develop in our system. The other picks will depend on who is available.
Again, this was more an exercise about possible needs and guys to focus on for the next 6 months heading up to the draft than about what we will actually do, which is always a mystery.
This team may have a lot more openings than you think. Bodden, Burgess,
Faulk, Green, Hanson, Neal, Seau, Watson, and Wilfork are due to be
free agents whether or not 2010 is uncapped. Alexander, Gostkowski,
Mankins, and Woods will be free agents if 2010 is capped.
The Patriots need the positions you mentioned above plus a tight end
and defensive tackle. The 2010 draft may be loaded with juniors
because of the specter of a rookie salary cap. A new CBA will not
occur until late February 2010 at the earliest. The juniors will have
declared well before this occurs. With a first and three seconds, the
Patriots should load up on good prospects. Why defer picks until
2011 when the 2010 draft may be loaded?