Thursday, February 14, 2013
Reviewing recent history of No. 29 pick
By James Walker
The New England Patriots are the final AFC East team to select in the first round of the NFL draft. The Patriots have the No. 29 overall pick in April after losing in the AFC title game to the world champion Baltimore Ravens.
Let's take a look at the recent history of the No. 29 pick and what this means for New England.
- 2012: Harrison Smith, S, Minnesota Vikings
- 2011: Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints
- 2010: Kyle Wilson, CB, New York Jets
- 2009: Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants
- 2008: Kentwan Balmer, DE, San Francisco 49ers
The No. 29 overall pick isn't a bad spot. For the smart teams, it's a good opportunity to land quality first-round value on players other teams may have overlooked. Players from this group like Smith and Nicks are perfect examples.
New England has needs at safety, cornerback and wide receiver. The Patriots are also known to trade back in order to acquire more picks. No. 29 could be a place where other teams look to jump back into the first round, especially if there is a quarterback on the board. New England could go in several different directions.
