Mike Richardson was a depth pick for the Patriots as they look to get younger on defense.  Richardson is a little small at 5′11″, 188 pounds and he has had trouble with fast receivers despite running a 4.48 40. Richardson also is not a sure tackler as he looks like a matador at times.  Richardson played in 49 games (30 starts) at Notre Dame and he made 170 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, had 3 sacks, forced 4 fumbles, broke up 15 passes and intercepted 8 passes that he returned for 69 yards.  Look for Richardson’s main role as a rookie to be on special teams.

The Patriots have signed Rashad Moore to a 1-year contract.  He played in 13 games last season for the Jets and he made 10 tackles and forced a fumble.  Over his 3 year career, Moore has played in 43 games and he’s made 86 tackles, has 3 sacks, defensed 2 passes, forced a fumble and recovered 4 fumbles.  The 6′3″, 325 pound veteran DT will likely just be around for depth reasons.

This is where Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick generally do their most damage…late in drafts.  I couldn’t find one expert that projected Justin Rogers to even get drafted.  He played in 54 games at SMU and he made 123 tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, had 16.5 sacks, forced 5 fumbles and blocked a kick.  Look for the 6′4″, 250 pound Rogers to make his mark on special teams for the Patriots.