He's got his foot in Patriots' door

FOXBOROUGH -- Stephen Gostkowski doesn't want to be known as Adam Vinatieri's replacement, but should the rookie from Memphis earn the job as the Patriots' kicker, that'll be his official designation.

That's the way it is when you follow a probable Hall of Famer.

For now, Gostkowski is just happy he'll get the opportunity. New England drafted the 22-year-old with the 21st pick of the fourth round (118th overall) yesterday, dropping the flag on the start of the competition to take the job Vinatieri held for the previous 10 years. The Patriots signed NFL veteran Martin Gramatica April 6.

''It's just exciting to think that I might be able to start in the NFL anywhere, and then to be able to replace a guy like Adam Vinatieri -- he's the most respected guy in the NFL -- you can't go in there expecting to do something somebody else did," Gostkowski said. ''You just have to go in there and bring what you can bring to the table and, hopefully, you can win over the fans and win over your coaches and teammates by making a big kick.

''I expect to have that same kind of pressure on me, but I'm not looking to impress anybody, to fill anybody's shoes . . . not everybody gets a chance to kick two game-winning Super Bowl kicks. I'm just trying to come in here and fight for a job. I still have to go in there and fight off Martin Gramatica and it will be a good competition."

The second day of the draft was a busy one for the Patriots, who added seven players to Saturday's three picks -- running back Laurence Maroney (first round), receiver Chad Jackson (second round), and tight end David Thomas (third round).

Despite the team's defensive needs -- linebacker and cornerback -- seven of the Patriots' 10 picks were offensive players, and the three defenders were all taken in the sixth or seventh rounds.

Coach Bill Belichick said that should not be taken as a statement the Patriots are settled on defense.

''I don't think [the draft] says anything about that," he said. ''If you take a running back in the first round, then trade up and take a receiver in the second round, it's going to be hard to have a defensive draft.

''We thought there was some value in the picks that we made, regardless of who they were, or which side of the ball they were. That's why we picked the players that we did, rather than trying to force picks into certain positions. We had the philosophy of trying to take the players that are the best players."

With their first pick of the fourth round (106th overall), the Patriots picked Garrett Mills, who played tight end at Tulsa but projects more as an H-back type in the NFL. By day's end, the Patriots had scooped up California tackle Ryan O'Callaghan (fifth round, 136th pick), Florida defensive end/linebacker Jeremy Mincey (sixth round, 191st pick), guard Dan Stevenson of Notre Dame (sixth round, 205th pick), defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith of Nebraska (sixth round, 206th pick), and defensive back/return man Willie Andrews of Baylor (seventh round, 229th pick).

Mills (6 feet 1 inch, 232 pounds) lacks the size to line up and push people around at tight end, but he is an excellent receiver. He had 201 receptions in his career, the second most of any tight end in NCAA Division 1 history. In 2005, he had 87 receptions for 1,235 yards, leading the nation's tight ends. The yardage total is an NCAA season record.

Like Thomas, Mills was a special teams ace as well as a key component to the offensive attack. The former high school linebacker says his size will not keep him from getting the job done.

''I don't see it being an issue at all," Mills said. ''My whole career I have been told that I'm undersized. Coming out of high school, I was told I was undersized to play tight end at a Division 1 college. Hopefully, I proved those guys wrong. Hopefully, I will do the same at the next level."

Gostkowski stands out in yesterday's group not only because of whom he might replace, but because kickers do not usually have much of a presence in the draft. Vinatieri, the team's all-time leading scorer, was an undrafted free agent signee in 1996.

The Patriots last drafted a kicker in the seventh round in 2001: Owen Pochman of BYU. The only other time they drafted a kicker in the fourth round was in 1988, when they took Teddy Garcia of Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana Monroe).

The Patriots never have drafted a kicker in the first three rounds. One other kicker, Kurt Smith of Virginia, went in the sixth round (pick 188) to San Diego yesterday.

Belichick said he liked Gostkowski's competitive nature, and there are indicators Gostkowski could be immune to the pressure of kicking in the NFL. His first field goal as a freshman wasn't even supposed to be an attempt. A fake was on, but a penalty backed the Tigers up 5 yards, leaving Gostkowski with a 50-yard attempt. The ball bounced through off the crossbar, giving him his first 3-pointer.

By his senior year, Gostkowski was showing consistency that put him among the top kickers in college football. He connected on 22 of 25 field goal attempts last season, including an impressive 10 for 10 outside 40 yards, including three of 50 yards or more.

As is the case with Vinatieri, Gostkowski compares kicking preparation to working on a golf swing.

''Every kick is a pressure situation," Gostkowski said. ''If you can't handle pressure, you shouldn't be in the business."

Gostkowski said he anticipates no difficulty kicking in windy conditions, and he described Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the Tigers' home, as ''a wind gust machine."

Gostkowski spent his offseasons as a starting pitcher for the Tigers' baseball team. He actually attended Memphis on a baseball scholarship, electing to walk on the football team after he got on campus. His best year (3-4, with a 3.99 ERA) came as a freshman, but he is sitting out the rest of the season to get started with his NFL career.

Known as ''Beave" because he looked like the television character after a street hockey incident left him without his front teeth, Gostkowski, whose first sports love was hockey, said he follows a variety of sports. And for a moment, he had a difficult time deciding whether he would rather be a Patriots fourth-round choice or a Red Sox first-round pick. Wisely, he selected the gridiron job.

''That's a tough question," he said. ''I'm excited . . . The feeling I had today when I got that call, I don't think it can be beat. So I'm pretty excited about the chance to be a fourth-round pick for the Patriots."

Belichick directed questions about backup quarterback Doug Flutie's status to Flutie.

The veteran, who joined the Patriots last season, has yet to announce whether he plans to return. Belichick would not say if Flutie would be welcomed back should he decide to play again.

''Doug wanted to wait until after the draft until he made any decision, so he could see how things played out with teams," said his agent, Kristen Kuliga. ''He'll probably make a decision this week."

Asked whether he thought third-stringer Matt Cassel (in his second year in the league) is ready to be a backup, Belichick said he was unsure.

''I don't know," Belichick said. ''Matt's improving. We saw that last year -- from where he was at the beginning of training camp to where he was in the Miami game at the end of the season. Hopefully, he can build on that and continue to go in the same direction."

The Patriots shuffled their coaching staff, moving assistant offensive line coach Matt Patricia to linebackers coach. The 31-year-old Patricia, who enters his third season on the staff, will work under coordinator Dean Pees and alongside position coaches Pepper Johnson (defensive line) and Joel Collier (secondary).

Mike Reiss of the Globe staff contributed to this report.