In each of the last four drafts the Patriots have drafted multiple players at the same basic position of need at some point in the first four rounds.
Heading into Friday's second day of the 2013 NFL Draft with four selections over the course of the second and third round – Nos. 52, 59, 83 and 91 overall– there is at least a decent chance the team could use the same quality-quantity approach yet again.
This time around the likely target would be a receiver position that's undergone nearly a complete overall for the Patriots this spring. The team clearly needs to inject youthful talent and potential at the spot, and taking a pair of possibilities from the group of the still intriguing talent on the board would seem to be a feasible option.
The double-dip positional approach has worked to varying degrees of success over the years. Going after front seven playmakers Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower looks like it could pay off well in the coming years after a solid if not ideal rookie season for the duo.
Two years ago Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley got the draft call just 17 picks apart and head into the 2013 campaign as the projected core of the backfield, the latter coming off a 1,200-yard sophomore effort.
The best value-based double-dip in the draft came in 2010 when Bill Belichick went after Rob Gronkowski in the second round and then swung for the fences again withAaron Hernandez in the fourth. Gronk was a bit of a question mark due to missing his final season at Arizona with a back injury, while Hernandez had off-field issues at Florida. Now they're arguably the best tight end tandem in the NFL.
A year earlier, though, the pair of picks didn't turn out so well. With serious need in the secondary, Belichick used two of four second-round picks on Patrick Chung and Darius Butler, just seven picks apart. Neither is still with the team. Neither proved worthy of his draft pick status.
So will Belichick look to take a couple bodies at the same spot this spring, maybe taking a pair of players at receiver? With guys like Tennessee's Justin Hunter, Baylor's Terrance Williams, USC's Robert Woods, Cal's Keenan Allen and Louisiana Tech's Quinton Patton still on the board it could very well be an enticing proposition.
With four selections in a 39-pick span later this evening, look for Belichick and Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio to be quite active. A big part of that action could and should deal with the wide receiver position that's so dearly in need of a boost. And given New England's problems developing young wide receivers in the past, taking a two-man shot at success should be welcomed with open arms in Patriots Nation.
Do you think the Patriots will take multiple receivers on Day 2 of the draft? Which two are you most interested in if that's the case? Let us know with a comment below!
