Patriots draw a bead on 'Ziggy'
Missouri DL Hood scheduled for visit
When the Patriots have selected defensive linemen in the first round of the NFL draft this decade, they've liked the results - from Richard Seymour (2001), to Ty Warren (2003), to Vince Wilfork (2004).
Scheduled to pick 23d overall in this year's draft - and perhaps keeping in mind that Seymour, Wilfork, and top reserve Jarvis Green are all entering the final year of their contracts - the team might focus on the line with its top pick or high second-rounder (34th overall).
Along those lines, the Patriots are devoting one of their 30 allotted predraft visits at Gillette Stadium to bring in University of Missouri defensive lineman Evander "Ziggy" Hood, according to league sources.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 300-pound Hood is one of the more experienced linemen in the draft, as he started 32 of 48 games over his college career. He is projected as high as the mid-to-late first round.
Hood was utilized as a "3-technique" defensive tackle at Missouri, meaning he usually lined up between the guard and offensive tackle and was most often shooting gaps. In the Patriots' 3-4 defense, Hood would project to be an end.
"He's a real aggressive player, really good at penetration and getting off the ball," said Craig Kuligowski, Missouri's defensive line coach. "He's a talented kid and a really good person, graduating here in 3 1/2 years. He's just been a real hard-working, never-a-problem type of guy."
Kuligowski compared Hood's style to that of Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris, a fellow Big 12 product who played at Oklahoma.
Hood's statistical production dipped as a senior as opposing offenses keyed on him, according to NFLDraftScout.com. Hood totaled 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2008, after he was credited with 49 tackles, 5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles as a junior.
Kuligowski said Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees was present at Missouri's Pro Day, when Hood performed in front of NFL coaches and scouts. That Hood is now scheduled to visit Gillette Stadium could mean a variety of things - from genuine interest, to a smokescreen, to a final medical check. It's possible that such visits can end up ruling a player out of a team's plans.
The Patriots currently have seven players under contract on the defensive line. Of that group, Seymour, Wilfork, Green, and Le Kevin Smith have contracts that expire after the season.
Former practice squad lineman Titus Adams (2011), nose tackle/defensive end Mike Wright (2012), and end Warren (2013) are the only linemen locked up past next season.
The Patriots' preseason opponents were finalized yesterday, and the third game - against the Redskins in Washington Aug. 28 - will be nationally televised on CBS. The Patriots travel to play the Eagles in Week 1 (Aug. 13-17), and host the Bengals in Week 2 (Aug. 20-24) and the Giants in Week 4 (Sept. 3-4). The exact dates of those games will be determined later. This marks the fifth straight preseason that the Patriots finish by facing the Giants . . . Veteran running back Fred Taylor will wear jersey No. 21 with the Patriots. Taylor donned 28 throughout his career with the Jaguars, but was 21 in college at Florida. Antwain Spann wears 28 for the Patriots.
Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com. 
