The Pats, armed with three of the NFL draft's first 33 picks, had a busy night on Thursday during the draft's first round. Belichick and Co. held the first round's Nos. 17 and 28 picks, and in a relatively unsurprising move, they dealt one of them away.
First, however, the Pats took offensive lineman Nate Solder out of Colorado. NESN.com's Jeff Howe thinks that Solder could be a good fit on the New England offensive line and that he could be a potential replacement for if and when Matt Light moves on from Foxboro. Solder also shores up an offensive line that could use some repair and rebuilding. The 6-foot-8, 319-pound tackle is a big body that should develop into a solid lineman.
With the No. 28 pick on tap and a couple of potential targets available for the Patriots, they instead traded the pick to the New Orleans Saints. The Pats acquired New Orleans' second-round pick this year and its first-round selection in 2012. With that pick, the Saints took Alabama running back Mark Ingram.
Friday will be a busy one again for the Patriots, as they will have five selections total, including three in the second round.
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