LSU LB Duke Riley

KEY STATS: A special-teams role player for his first three years at LSU, the 6-0, 232-pound Riley burst on the scene as a senior and made a team-leading 93 tackles, nine for loss, with 1.5 sacks and an interception. PROS: The Patriots are low on linebacker depth, and Riley has a lot of traits they could look for. For one, he's a willing special-teams player. He's also intelligent and diagnoses plays fast enough to make up for some of his physical limitations. He essentially had the same career path at LSU as Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones, who was one of the top defensive rookies in the league last year. His 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine (4.58 seconds) was good, but his three-cone drill number (6.89) may be even more appealing for the Pats. CONS: For one, Riley only started one season at LSU. Although Jones did the same thing and was an instant impact player in Atlanta, the limited experience is something that may scare some teams off. Also, Riley is a bit on the smaller side. He could be someone whose role starts out small. ROOKIE IMPACT? It would be hard to imagine Riley jumping over most of the players on the current linebacker depth chart, but the same was thought for Elandon Roberts last year, and he gained meaningful snaps. At the very least, Riley could be a help on special teams. AVAILABLE AT NO. 72? Very likely. Riley at this point last year would not have even been drafted. He helped his cause with a good senior season and combine performance, but he still should be around when the Patriots pick.