Patriots Select Arkansas Quarterback Ryan Mallett With 74th Pick in NFL Draft

by Jill Seward on Fri, Apr 29, 2011 at 9:34PM

The Patriots made a splash with their final pick on the second day of the NFL draft, closing out what were two very busy rounds.

Quarterbacks were a hot selection on Day 2, and the Patriots picked one of their own when they selected Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett. There had been a few hints that Mallett was on the Pats' radar, and they scooped him up with their 74th pick.

Mallett is the leader of the quarterback pack when it comes to his arm, and though his Patriots' future is unknown, he definitely has some great potential in the league.

The former Razorback led his team to a 10-2 record in 2010, throwing for 3,869 yards with 32 touchdowns on the year. In his career at Arkansas, Mallet set or matched 43 school or stadium records, including the all-time record for passing touchdowns (62) and passing yards (7,493).

Mallett was named Second Team All-SEC in the 2010 season, and was named a finalist for the Manning Award in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons.