(The sports world has turned its attention to the NFL Draft. That means we have to figure out which players the Patriots might be taking in what promises to be one of the most important drafts in the Pats' recent history. Each day until the Draft kicks off on April 23 we will give you some names that the Patriots might be calling.)
Name: A.J. EpenesaSchool: IowaPosition: Defensive endWhy the Patriots might draft him: He's a versatile defensive end who, at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, can play on the outside of a front four or bump inside a little bit in a front three, something that would seemingly fit the Patriots' defense well.What is he good at: Pretty much everything. He registered 22 sacks over his final two seasons at Iowa, so the pass-rushing is there, but Epenesa also forces fumbles (eight over the past two seasons), gets his hands up to knock down passes, and grades out well against the run. He earned First Team All-Big Ten honors and Second Team All-America honors this past season as a junior.Read: A.J. Epenesa might not seem like a special defensive prospect, until you take a closer look.And then there is this: Epenesa was a three-sport star in high school, averaging a double-double in basketball as a senior and winning back-to-back Illinois state titles in the discus throw.Twitter: @ajepenesa24
