COVERITLIVE.COM

11:37

Boston.com - Welcome to today's Patriots chat with Mike Reiss! Mike will be joining us at noon.

11:59

Mike Reiss - Good afternoon. Looking forward to the chat. Spent two hours on a conference call with Mike Mayock yesterday. Amazing to me how much interest there is with the draft analysts. I asked him about outside linebackers for the Patriots at 23. He likes Larry English there, if the Patriots go in that direction. Interesting. Let's roll.

11:59

[Comment From Woody]
I think PATS take a corner with 23 ( thoughts? ) and if Peppers does not come over - an OLB at 34 - Clint Sintim? Thoughts?

12:01

Mike Reiss - Woody, if Darius Butler is there, I agree. But I don't think he's going to be there. Not sure what other corner they'd really feel gives them what they want there. Alphonso Smith? If they go OLB at 34, Sintim is a natural fit. He played in the 3-4 so that projection is easier to make.

12:01

[Comment From Saint]
Mike, I think it's laughable that a guy like Mel Kiper Jr is predicting the Pats to take Donald Brown at 23, maybe in 2010. If both Rey Maualaga and Larry English who do you think they would take?

12:02

Mike Reiss - Saint, if he's predicting Brown, it's probably because he feels any defensive player the Patriots would want there is off the board. On Maualuga vs. English, that is a tough one. I think they'd take English. Something tells me they'd be cautious with a guy like Maualuga because he comes with some risk.

12:02

[Comment From Brandon Merriweather]
Mike, I will make the pro bowl this year! How do you feel about that statement?

12:03

Mike Reiss - When you looked into your crystal ball, Brandon Meriweather, did you see Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu getting hurt?

12:03

[Comment From josh_go_pats]
From what I've seen, Connor Barwin is going to the pats whether at 23, 34 or as late as 47. Also Patrick Chung in the second round somewhere... My question is, since Connor Barwin is described by everyone to be 'the patriot's player', would someone else step in and take him in the late first round? Also, what are your thoughts on Patrick Chung? He's the 4th rated safety from what I've seen, but he can hit with the best of them from what I've seen of his draft tapes.

12:06

Mike Reiss -

I don't think Barwin is a first round guy, and I'm not convinced the Patriots are definitely going to take him. I don't think teams would swoop ahead within the first 32 picks, just to get ahead of the Patriots. Also, there are some other good players at that spot, like Cody Brown of UConn, and I know how much Bill Belichick respects Randy Edsall and that UConn program. Clint Sintim is another. Also, on safety, don't rule out the Clemson kids -- Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemons. We've spent a lot of time discussing Chung, Moore and Delmas, but those Clemson players should be in the discussion too.

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