Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Welcome to New England, Ron Brace. But it's not like you're new to the area. Brace, who played his high school football at Burncoat High in Worcester, was once a Patriot with Burncoat, and he's beginning his professional career as a Patriot with New England.
What a great story. But even better than that, what a great pick by coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
The Patriots trade all the way out of the first round and then collect picks, giving them four picks in the second round and four in the third round.
So after taking Oregon safety Patrick Chung with the 34th overall pick, the Pats traded up with the Raiders to select Brace at No. 40.
Yes, the defensive line is a strength with the Pats, but who knows if Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour will be around when their contracts expire. Even if they are, look at the depth on the line with Wilfork, Seymour, Brace, Jarvis Green, Ty Warren and Mike Wright. Outstanding!
Brace is no doubt the same type of nose tackle like Wilfork -- they are big, tough, eat up space, are hard to move, and can downright stop the running game. That's how you win in the National Football League -- stopping the run. Brace and fellow Boston College lineman B.J. Raji are the two top run-stuffing defensive linemen in the draft and the Patriots got one of them.
If anyone knows Brace, they know how much football means to him. He's going to work hard, there's no doubt that. He's smart and willing to do whatever it takes for his team to win games. He's not about himself, it's about T-E-A-M. He also strives for greatness, and I bet those characteristics are why Belichick jumped up to draft him.
It's also a great story for Brace and the Pats. Brace played in Worcester, resides in Springfield and now he's with him hometown team. How often does that happen? I'm willing to bet, not very often.
It's funny how the draft works out. Brace confirmed to Fan Fanatic Sports that the Patriots had never talked to him, but did bring him in for a physical before the draft.
Brace was quick to point out that many times when a team doesn't contact a player, they're probably interested in that player.
Well, guess what happened to Brace? No contact from the Pats DID mean they liked him and wanted him to be a part of their championship-caliber club.
Brace will make them a better team on defense. So will No. 41 pick -- UConn cornerback Darius Butler.
Entering the draft, it was all about defense for New England. While they still have a glaring need for a linebacker to replace Mike Vrabel, they did give that unit a shot of youth and athleticism. The secondary is got a big boost with Chung and Butler, and the defensive line got that much stronger with Brace in the middle.
What will the Patriots do with all their third-round picks? Who knows, so stayed tuned.
Again, Fan Fanatic Sports would like to congratulate Ron Brace on being selected by the New England Patriots.
For the latest on Ron Brace and the Patriots' draft, keep checking back to Fan Fanatic Sports.
