2013 NFL Mock Draft: Patriots address secondary in latest mock draft

The New England Patriots were once again one of the best teams in the NFL in 2012, but they fell short of winning the Super Bowl yet again. One of the weak parts of the team was the secondary, and few would be shocked if Bill Belichick and the Patriots looked for a defensive back in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

The Patriots address the secondary in the latest mock draft from CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler, selecting cornerback Desmond Trufant with the 29th overall pick. It would be the second straight season New England used a first-round pick on a defensive player, after selecting both Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower in the first round last year. Here's what Brugler had to say about Trufant, who played his college football at Washington:

The Patriots need to stop the bleeding in the secondary by adding more depth on the outside at cornerback. Trufant still needs some technique work, but he has the quickness, hips and experience that will be enticing to New England with this pick.

The Patriots re-signed free agent cornerback Aqib Talib, but Trufant could be a good long-term solution at corner for New England. The team finished 29th in the NFL in pass defense in 2012, but that's a somewhat misleading ranking. The Patriots faced the seventh-most passes, mostly due to the fact that they were ahead in most of their games, but there was also plenty of room for improvement.

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