The first round of the 2010 NFL draft featured a few head-scratchers, several stunning trades and little certainty beyond the top three selections. However, Ed Rosa, a retired high school vice principal from Stoneham, Mass., made predicting the unpredictable look easy.
Rosa correctly named nine of the 32 picks in Thursday night's first round to win the Patriots' third annual Mock Draft Contest. The former educator was awarded a pair of season tickets for the Patriots' 2010 home games at Gillette Stadium.
"As the picks were coming in, I kept saying over and over, 'We’ve got a chance at this,'" said Rosa. "The people sitting at my table and at the tables near me were all rooting for me."
In addition to choosing the right landing spots for nine picks, Rosa identified 24 of the 32 actual first-round selections. His football watching experience, which dates back to the days when the Patriots played at Fenway Park and Boston University Field in the 1960s, may have been the difference.
"My wife is a big fan," he said. "We watch every game. We have people over every Sunday."
Now, Rosa will be able to bring his wife to Gillette Stadium to cheer on Devin McCourty and the other Patriots' rookies.
