With the 53rd Pick in the 2010 Stampede Blue Community Mock Draft, the New England Patriots select...

Logo by coltsfan723

Jared Veldheer, OT - Hillsdale

Pick made by Richard Hill:

Veldheer is a player with tremendous upside. With Veldheer coming out of a division II school, teams have little knowledge if his skill set will translate to the NFL level due to the lack of top caliber competition. That said, Veldheer is a monster who could play opposite of Sebastian Vollmer for years to come.

Why Veldheer:
The Patriots starting LT Matt Light is in the last year of his contract. His play has dropped off considerably and should be delegated to a back-up role, much like Nick Kaczur (who got bumped to back up RT when Vollmer stepped up). Taking Veldheer would allow the Patriots to groom him early in the season and not throw him into NFL speed from the get-go.

Why not someone else:
The only other player I was considering at this position was LSU WR Brandon LaFell, but I believe the Patriots can get #2 or #3 quality WRs later in the draft. The Patriots tend to draft OTs early so I thought taking Veldheer would both follow the Patriots MO and allow us to grab a big WR later in this draft. Also, next year is known to have some of the best WRs in years, so saving a top pick for a top WR until next year might be the best course of action.

Veldheer's Scouting Report from Mocking the Draft

First/Second Round picks for the Patriots: Jared Odrick, Brandon Spikes, Koa Misi

The Bengals, and FineClub, are on the clock...

First Round:

Second Round: