Hurricane DT Brown tops second-day haul
The Patriots' blockbuster trade for wide receiver Randy Moss overshadowed everything else the team did on the second day of the NFL Draft, turning its selections into a bunch of Mr. Irrelevants.
New England sent a fourth-rounder (No. 110 overall) to the Oakland Raiders for Moss. The Patriots, who started the day with nine second-day picks before the Moss deal, drafted eight players -- one in the fourth round, one in the fifth, four in the sixth and two in the seventh -- after taking just one on the first day.
"Well, we were certainly a lot more active in adding players to our team than we were [on Saturday]. So that was good. We have a lot of new names to work with," said coach Bill Belichick. "I just felt like overall the two things we did in the draft was we added some quality and depth to our roster and also put ourselves in position for next year with some strong picks in the first day of the draft. Overall, I feel good coming out of it."
The Patriots started the second day by tapping defensive tackle Kareem Brown, a teammate of first round pick Brandon Meriweather at the University of Miami, in the fourth round (No. 127 overall). It marked the first time in team history the Patriots used their first two picks in a draft on players from the same school.
Brown offered his take on the ugly brawl between Miami and Florida International University during the third quarter of the Hurricanes' 35-0 win Oct. 14. Meriweather stomped on players during the melee. "That was an unfortunate incident and that should never happen in any sport whatsoever," said Brown. "I was just trying to do my best to pull people back. You know Brandon is a high-profile guy and people are going to say what they want."
It was the 6-foot-4-inch, 290-pound Brown and not Meriweather who was named the Hurricanes' defensive player of the year. Brown, who only became a full-time starter as a senior, finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in sacks with 11 1/2, the second most ever by a Miami defensive tackle. He also added 60 tackles, including 12 1/2 for a loss. Brown said he believes he can play nose tackle and defensive end in a 3-4. He could compete to back up Vince Wilfork, with whom he played two years at Miami.
"You couldn't help but learn from someone of his ability," said Brown. "Every time he comes back [to Miami] we sit down and chit-chat." Belichick worked out Brown March 13, the same day he worked out Meriweather.
With their fifth-round selection (No. 171 overall) the Patriots picked Clint Oldenburg, a 6-5, 298-pound offensive lineman from Colorado State. Oldenburg has versatility. He started as a tight end before being moved to guard after his freshman year. He played primarily right tackle as a junior and started all 12 games at left tackle last season.
"I think I can play anywhere along the offensive line and be just as effective," said Oldenburg. "I think the Patriots like guys like that, that can play multiple positions. It seems like that is a trend for guys they select."
Belichick and Co., went off the board with the first of their four picks in the sixth round, drafting Justin Rogers of Southern Methodist University with a pick they acquired last year when they dealt tackle Brandon Gorin to the Arizona Cardinals. Rogers, who played defensive end at SMU, wasn't even listed in the Pro Football Weekly Draft Preview guide. The 6-4, 250-pounder had 9 1/2 sacks as a senior, 13th in the country, and led Conference USA in sacks with seven as a junior.
Rogers suffered sprained vertebrae in his neck against Texas-El Paso Oct. 7. He was immobilized and transported to the hospital via ambulance. He missed only one game. "My neck is fine," said Rogers. "During the game when it happened it was just kind of a shock to me at first. I felt kind of a sting in the neck. It was all a precautionary thing. I went to a specialist here in Dallas and he said I could definitely play . . . and it hasn't bothered me since."
When Rogers isn't hunting down quarterbacks he likes to hunt game. Rogers once skinned a coyote to make a rug for his step-mother. "I was a little low on money and a little low on ideas and I had just killed a coyote," said Rogers. "I was flipping through a catalogue and I saw a coyote rug and I thought, 'I can do that,' so I skinned it out and gave it to her. She still has it. It's in our living room."
New England had four picks in a span of 202 to 211, bridging the sixth and seventh rounds. With the first of the four it took one of former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis's players, selecting Notre Dame cornerback Mike Richardson. New England then nabbed a player from vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli's alma mater, running back Justise Hairston of Central Connecticut State, at No. 208. Hairston spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Rutgers, before transferring to Central, where he set season school and Northeast Conference rushing records with 1,847 yards.
Offensive tackle Corey Hilliard followed at No. 209. The 6-5 1/4, 308-pounder was a starter for Oklahoma State as a true freshman, when he took over at right tackle, and made 34 consecutive starts to close out his career.
With the first pick of the seventh round (No. 211), the Patriots grabbed linebacker Oscar Lua of Southern California. Lua replaced Seattle Seahawks linebacker and former King Philip star Lofa Tatupu as the Trojans' starting middle linebacker in 2005, recording a team-high 66 tackles. He lost his job to sophomore Ray Maualuga as a senior.
The final New England selection was center Mike Elgin of Iowa (No. 247). Elgin split time between center and guard at Iowa. He made 13 starts as a senior, nine at right guard and four at center.
Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com. 
