Bill Belichick‘s infatuation with Rutgers continued on Saturday.
After taking a pair of Rutgers defensive backs in Round 3 on Friday night, the Patriots went back to the depths of New Brunswick, N.J. for their final selection in the 2013 NFL draft.
This time they drafted Steve Beauharnais in the seventh round (No. 235 overall) to close out this year’s draft class.
Beauharnais was a productive player for Rutgers’ defense over the past two seasons, putting up some impressive numbers as a junior with 77 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks and three interceptions. That production slipped as a senior as he managed 82 tackles but only six for loss, one sack and one interception in 2012.
He possesses good size for an inside linebacker, measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, but his lack of speed can be a killer in coverage. He ran a 4.84-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, but he did manage 6.99 seconds in the three-cone drill, which the Patriots value more than just the straight-line speed of the 40.
Beauharnais wasn’t the greatest coverage linebacker, but he is a very good run-stopper who should add depth at linebacker and help shore up the Patriots’ defense in short-yardage situations.
The Patriots took two of his Rutgers teammates in the third round, taking cornerback Logan Ryan at No. 83 overall and safety Duron Harmon at No. 91 overall.
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