The New England Patriots announced the signing of three rookies from their 2003 draft class today; fourth-round draft choices Dan Klecko and Asante Samuel and seventh-round draft choice Ethan Kelley. Terms of the signings were not disclosed.
Klecko, 22, was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2003 NFL draft after earning All-Big East honors at Temple. The 5-foot-11-inch, 283-pound nose tackle started 36 of 40 games during his collegiate career and recorded 206 career tackles, including 26 sacks for 189 yards and 66 tackles for losses.
Samuel, 22, was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2003 NFL draft. In four years at Central Florida, the 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound cornerback played in 45 games and recorded 127 tackles. He had eight career interceptions for 71 yards and was credited with 38 passes broken up.
Kelley, 23, was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round (243rd overall) of the 2003 NFL draft. The 6-foot-2-inch, 315-pound nose tackle led Baylor with 75 tackles in 2002. He was originally recruited to Baylor as a defensive lineman, but made the transition to offensive line as a freshman. He spent two years as a starter on the offensive line before making the transition back to the defensive line as a junior.
