RB LAURENCE MARONEY (Minnesota): 21st OVERALL SELECTION
Laurence Maroney became the seventh running back selected by the Patriots in the first round of the NFL Draft since the 1967 AFL-NFL drafting merger. Maroney is the fourth running back selected by the Patriots with their first draft choice of the year. With Maroney's selection, the Patriots have used the 21st overall pick three times in the last five seasons and four times overall. Maroney becomes the fourth player drafted by the Patriots from the University of Minnesota. The most famous Patriot from the University of Minnesota, Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti, was a member of the inaugural Patriots squad in 1960, joining the team as a free agent after a stint in the CFL.

WR CHAD JACKSON (Florida): 36th OVERALL SELECTION
The Patriots traded a second-round pick (52 overall) and a third-round pick (75 overall) to the Green Bay Packers to obtain the second-round draft choice (36 overall) with which they drafted Florida wide receiver Chad Jackson. Jackson becomes the third wide receiver to be drafted in the second round since Bill Belichick arrived in Foxborough in 2000, joining Deion Branch (2002) and Bethel Johnson (2003). He is the 13th wide receiver in Patriots history to be selected in the first two rounds (since 1967 AFL-NFL drafting merger). Additionally, Jackson's selection marks the third time in Patriots history that the team has used the 36th overall choice. The other two instances produced Eugene Wilson (2003) and Lawyer Milloy (1996).

TE DAVID THOMAS (Texas): 86th OVERALL SELECTION
David Thomas becomes the eighth tight end selected by the Patriots in the seven drafts since Bill Belichick arrived in Foxborough in 2000. The Patriots selected exactly one tight end in each draft since 2000 with the exception of 2001, when the Patriots picked two tight ends. Thomas' selection marks the fifth time in team history the Patriots have used the 86th overall pick, the same selection used to draft linebacker Tedy Bruschi in 1996.