Getting hung up on the list of hyped players expected to go early in the NFL draft is something the New England Patriots cannot be accused of. And with the draft looming, the Patriots are loaded with nine picks: two picks in each of the first three rounds and one pick in rounds four through six. All mostly attained through dealings with other teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers.

You don’t build up that kind of draft itinerary when you’ve won three Super Bowls and nearly a dozen playoff games within the last 10 years without some bona fide negotiations.

New Englanders can certainly expect wheeling and dealing. Who really knows how many picks the Patriots will have used, and where they will have used them?

So let’s skip the name brand players and look down the line, late in the draft.

The Patriots are in desperate need of beefing up their defense, most notably their pass rush, but have been missing a key ingredient: someone in the likes of a Tedy Bruschi. The middle linebacker was a key element for the Patriots. A workhorse that was the team leader and defensive power that helped garner greatness for the Pats.

One possible element that the Patriots could add and which would certainly come in the late rounds is University of Connecticut product Anthony Sherman, a 5-10, 242-pound mass with defensive experience, albeit in high school, and a committed special teams player.

Sherman may have shown up at UCONN at the wrong time for the wrong purpose, utilized as a fullback and special teams player, which has thrown him down the ladder of prospective NFL worth. But that special teams play could be what the doctor ordered.

Coach Randy Edsall (now manning the U. of Maryland football program) used Sherman as a fullback in an offensive backfield that showcased none other than junior running back Jordan Todman. No doubt that Sherman played a big role in Todman’s career. In fact, when it came to pass plays, Todman was on the sideline while Sherman was blocking or playing out of the backfield as a possible receiver. In fact, Sherman was the second leading receiver on the Huskies, gathering 26 catches for 270 yards.

At North Attleborough (Mass.) High School, Sherman was a dominant runner, but even more special as a linebacker, his true calling. Sherman’s downfall in the glitter of draft lore might have been his decision to follow fellow Red Rocketeer Robert Vaughn to Connecticut. Vaughn was a force as a high school running back, but was utilized as a safety at UCONN where he excelled but was hindered as a result of Edsall’s philosophy.

Sherman was a noted team leader in high school, and even earned respect to catch balls out of the backfield for the Huskies, and tagged with captain status as a junior. This is the kind of player Belichick fancies. A guy that can play both sides of the ball, not just because he wants to, but because he can and is great at it.

A true team player, Sherman would fit nicely in a Bill Belichick defense, possibly giving the Patriots that needed edge once witnessed through Bruschi, but with the potential to be used in “trick plays,” coming out of the backfield on goal line situations, something Belichick loves to do.

Sherman could be a sleeper in this draft, and in the right hands, specifically Belichick’s hands, he could instantly become a hometown hero.