O'Connell talks shop

QB Kevin O'Connell, the second of the Patriots' third-round selections, held a conference call with New England reporters this afternoon.

He touched on his pre-draft private workout with Patriots offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels.

"I thought of all the coaches I met throughout this process and worked out for, he had by far the best kind of mentality when it came to teaching," O'Connell said. "You could tell from the first time we put on the tape or went out on the field, he really understood the best way to get things across and the best way to teach things and evaluate things."

O'Connell said it was a 30-45-minute workout in San Diego.

"He took some time to teach me some things about the offense that maybe some of the other coaches wouldn't have, and he broke down my tape in a certain way," he said. "It was really positive, but at the same time letting me know some of the really important things I'm going to need to work on to have a chance at the next level."

When he was picked by the Patriots, O'Connell said: "The first thing I thought is that I can learn from the best of the best [Tom Brady]. I've been watching him for a long time, kind of studying the way he plays the game and carries himself and leads his teammates."