Patriots draft Houston linebacker Elandon Roberts with 214th pick

FOXBOROUGH — All over the roster, the Patriots needed depth headed into the 2016 NFL draft. One position where they needed depth more than others was at linebacker. With their first two picks in the sixth round on Saturday, the Patriots took measures at improving their backup spots behind Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins.

#Patriots select LB Elandon Roberts, a linebacker from Houston, with the 214th pick. #PatsDraft pic.twitter.com/izhBVLpBjG

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 30, 2016

At 6-foot and 235 pounds, Houston’s Elandon Roberts is a little undersized for the linebacker position (though not quite as undersized as the Patriots’ previous pick, Kamu Grugier-Hill). Roberts’ lack of size didn’t stop him from putting up impressive numbers in college, however, with 88 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and six sacks as a senior.

According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Roberts’ head coach at Houston called him “one of the best leaders he’s ever been around and raves about his work ethic and passion for the game.”