Marshall is hoping to get picked off early

Patriots second-year safety James Sanders hopes to return to California this weekend to watch the NFL draft with one of his best friends -- Fresno State cornerback Richard Marshall.

He hopes he and his pal return to New England next week as teammates.

''We've talked about it, how great that would be," Sanders said.

Sanders doesn't just want to reunite with a former college teammate for nostalgic reasons; he believes Marshall will be a special player in the NFL. Many observers agree. Marshall is considered one of the top cover corners in the draft, and a late first-round prospect.

NFLdraftscout.com describes Marshall as ''one of the finest pass thieves in college football."

''When he comes to play, he brings everything to the table every night," Sanders said. ''He's an explosive player who makes big plays. I'll think he'll do great in the NFL; just a great athlete.

''I believe he's under the radar with a lot of teams as to how good he is, coming out of Fresno State. Once he gets to the league, people will know Richard Marshall."

The Patriots drafted a pair of Fresno State players a year ago, claiming Logan Mankins in the first round and Sanders in the fourth. The Bulldogs are coached by Pat Hill, once an assistant under Bill Belichick in Cleveland.

''Coach Hill and Coach Belichick really have the same demeanor and coaching style," Marshall said. ''Like I tell everybody, whichever team picks me up, I will be ready to go in there and make an impact as soon as possible."

Marshall isn't considered a hard hitter, but he hustled to lead Fresno State in tackles last season. Told by the league that he would probably be a second- or third-round choice, Marshall, a junior, elected to leave school a year early, as Sanders did.

Now he could be part of an expected run on cornerbacks in the first round.

JEROME SOLOMON