01:42 PM EST on Friday, March 31, 2006

Leading up to the NFL Draft, the Journal's Tom E. Curran will profile a player at a "need" position for the Patriots each day. New England has 11 picks in the draft, six in the first four rounds. Its first round pick is the 21st overall. Profiles are based on our own analysis and interviews, various draft resources and Pro Football Weekly's 2006 Draft Preview book.

TODAY'S PROFILE:

JOSEPH ADDAI

POSITION: Running back

COLLEGE: LSU

HEIGHT: 5-foot-11

WEIGHT: 214

TIME IN THE 40: 4.41

THE LOWDOWN

Wowed 'em at the NFL Combine with his measurables. An all-purpose back who'd probably be best suited to a third-down back/returner role early on in his career. Ran for 911 yards on 187 carries with nine touchdowns for LSU in 2005 despite an ankle injury that lingered. Ran for 130 in the Peach Bowl against Miami. Caught 60 balls in his past three years at LSU. Injuries prevented him from being LSU's lead back but has been starting off and on since 2003.

THE PROS

A nice Swiss Army knife kind of back. Can go out in the slot and catch passes (a real strong suit) or line up and run between the tackles with his powerful leg drive. Likes to block and is pretty good at it. Very good worker and teammate. Good lateral quickness and cuts it back nicely at the second level.

THE CONS

He's battled ankle and knee ligament injuries at LSU. Durability is a concern. Didn't score well on the Wonderlic. Though his speed and cutting ability are good, he's not viewed as an imaginative back in space.

COULD HE BE A PATRIOT?

A little bigger and faster than fellow LSU product Kevin Faulk, but not as elusive or proven in terms of production coming out as Faulk was. His very solid ability as a pass-catcher and the fact that he can be split out could make him very attractive to the Patriots. He's got the right intangibles that he can control -- attitude, willingness and effort -- but the durability issue is going to be a concern. New England needs a younger back in the fold along with Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk. But adding a player like Addai with his limitations as an every-down back and question marks with injuries certainly rule him out as a first-round prospect. Maybe if he's on the board in the second round, he'll get consideration.

COLLECTION OF CARDS

"Draft Card" will run every day between now and April 28, which is the eve of the NFL draft. All entries will be archived on projo.com at www.projo.com/patriots