Nate Solder has been drafted with the No. 17 overall pick by the New England Patriots on Thursday night in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Solder, a 6'8", 319-pound offensive tackle from Colorado, is a big body who should definitely help the Pats up front. He has an arm length of 35.4" and a hand size of 9.699".
In addition, Solder was the first offensive tackle at Colorado to receive All-American honors since Stan Brock back in 1979. Solder is a workhorse, playing 2,540 of 2,542 possible downs from his sophomore season to his senior year.
In three seasons with the Buffaloes, Solder allowed a mere five sacks and allowed 21 total pressures. During Solder's senior season, he played in all 12 of Colorado's games and played a grand total of 847 snaps.
For more on the New England Patriots and their draft, head over to Pats Pulpit. And for all things 2011 NFL Draft related, from the first pick to Mr. Irrelevant and everything in between, check out SB Nation's 2011 NFL Draft Hub and our NFL Draft blog, Mocking The Draft.