Eliot Wolf said the Patriots were surprised Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu was still on the board when they traded up to select him late in the first round Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Less than 24 hours later, surprise drove the Patriots to make another move up for a player they also coveted.<\/p>\n
The Pats jumped eight spots in a trade with the Chargers to draft Illinois edge defense Gabe Jacas at 55th overall in Friday\u2019s second round. The trade cost the Patriots a fourth-round pick and one of their four sixth-round selections. Wolf said they had made calls to multiple teams before striking a deal with Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were exploring the board, and Gabe was the highest-rated player that we had there, obviously in a position of need. We just felt like, rather than waiting, frankly \u2014 again, I said this last night about Caleb, too \u2014 but I was a little bit surprised that he wasn\u2019t off the board already,\u201d Wolf said. \u201cSo, we tried to pull the trigger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacas took a pre-draft visit to New England that helped sell him as an ideal fit for the Patriots. As a violent, relentless player, his college tape made him seem like an obvious fit for Mike Vrabel\u2019s culture and defense. But it was the personal impression he left during that day in Foxboro that seemed to elevate the team\u2019s interest to the point where the Patriots were willing to sacrifice multiple future selections to draft him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was one of the guys that came in, and everyone was just kind of gushing about him,\u201d Wolf said. \u201cLike, his energy, his personality, he\u2019s all about football. He\u2019s a tough guy. You know, (director of sports performance) Frank Piraino, our strength coach, was fired up about him, because he\u2019s a weight-room guy and a wrestler, which obviously Frank has that background, as well. So, he made quite an impression when he was here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wolf added the team did not have much deliberation prior to trading up for Lomu and Jacas. However, there was some debate in the lead-up to their second and final pick Friday night, Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon, who went 95th overall. However, the other players in consideration were selected before their turn at No. 95, making Raridon an easy selection who also filled a position of need.<\/p>\n
The NFL Draft will re-open on noon Saturday with the final four rounds. The Patriots are scheduled to make five selections: one in the fifth round, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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