"The Patriots are known for making trades on draft day, not controversial picks. That changed last night. In the third round, with the 74th overall pick, the Patriots selected Arkansas junior quarterback Ryan Mallett, who comes with a wealth of talent and a history of off-field issues. Mallett was arrested in 2009 for public intoxication while at Arkansas. During predraft interviews, Mallett addressed rumors of drug use by saying he only smoked marijuana, but one league executive said he "didn't believe'' the quarterback. The controversy surrounding Mallett hurt his draft status as he dropped from a potential first-round pick into the third round. Six other quarterbacks were drafted before Mallett. Bill Belichick said the Patriots were comfortable with the pick — or else they wouldn't have made it. "We felt like he was a good player,'' Belichick said. "He's had a lot of production. He's won everywhere he's been, high school, college . . . He's an impressive guy to talk to.'' Mallett began his college career at Michigan in 2007 but transferred after his freshman year to play in his home state. He sat out the 2008 season per NCAA transfer rules, and started all 13 games in 2009. Last season he completed 266 of 411 passes for 3,689 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. When it comes to the drug rumors and his off-field issues at Arkansas, Mallett said it is all behind him and he is excited to start fresh with the Patriots." Read more: http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2011/04/30/mallett_not_passed_up/
