FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced the signing of first-round draft choice Logan Mankins today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Mankins, who was the last player selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft becomes the first among those 32 players to agree to a contract. With his signing, the Patriots have now signed all seven of their 2005 draft choices.
Mankins, 23, was drafted by the Patriots with the 32nd overall selection. The 6-foot-4-inch, 307-pound lineman started 40 of 42 games in four seasons at Fresno State, where he earned first-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors in his final season at Fresno State. Mankins did not allow a single sack or pressure the entire season, producing 16 touchdown-resulting blocks, earning him team-MVP honors making him the first offensive lineman in Fresno State history to earn such an award. After red-shirting his freshman season in 2000, the Catheys Valley, California native had an outstanding 2001 season blocking David Carr's blind side brilliantly allowing only two sacks the entire season. Mankins was the recipient of the "Bad Dog" Award by Fresno State Head Coach Pat Hill, a rarely-awarded honor that goes to a player who completely dominates his position.
