Bengals, Patriots, Giants, Chiefs ace 2012 NFL Draft – NFL.com

New England Patriots: A Bill Belichick cleverly maneuvered around the draft board to address the Patriots’ suspect defense. He nabbed a pair of first-round difference makers in Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower, and found a few potential sleepers in Alfonzo Dennard and Jake Bequette.

Best pick: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama (Round 1, 25). Hightower is a productive player capable of filling a variety of roles in the Patriots’ hybrid defense.

Questionable pick: Tavon Wilson, DB, Illinois (Round 2, 48). Wilson is not a household name and his second-round selection stunned many observers, but his versatility could prove invaluable in the back end.

Sleeper pick: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska (Round 7, 224). Dennard’s draft stock fell dramatically after a poor performance at the Senior Bowl and questionable character decisions in recent weeks (including an arrest for allegedly assaulting a police officer just days before the draft). However, he has considerable talent and could carve out a big role as a nickel corner.