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By Jerome Solomon, Globe Staff

Remember the talk that the Patriots were well stocked entering the 2005 NFL draft?

Turns out, the majority of the free agent pickups were busts, and the draft was again important.

The Patriots went into last year's draft thinking they might come away with one starter. By season's end they had three -- offensive linemen Logan Mankins and Nick Kaczur, and cornerback Ellis Hobbs.

With the 21st pick of tomorrow's first round (assuming the team doesn't make a trade), the Patriots are expected to come away with a sure starter. And with the 20th pick of the second round (52d overall), the Patriots could very well come away with a second starter.

The question is which positions will they elect to fill first.

The Patriots' biggest loss of the offseason is kicker Adam Vinatieri. But placekickers are rarely drafted in the first round (three in the history of the league), and it won't happen again this weekend.

One of the team's biggest needs is wide receiver, where it has only three players who have played a full season in New England, and one of those (Troy Brown) will be 35 when the season starts. But this year's draft is not deep at receiver.

Linebacker is a spot where the Patriots could draft a starter, and a top-flight corner could move into the starting lineup immediately. Also, the team needs to add a running back, and will not overlook a talented offensive lineman.

With six picks among the first 118, and 11 overall, expect all those needs to be filled. Who knows in what order.

Offense

The Patriots are set at the top with Brady, who threw for the second most yards in team history (a career-high 4,110) and earned his third Pro Bowl honor last season.

Cassel looked decent in the exhibition season and when he played against the Dolphins in the regular-season finale, particularly for a rookie drafted in the seventh round, but is he ready to be the primary backup? Doubtful.

The team will likely add a veteran backup in case the unthinkable happens and Brady is injured and forced to miss games for the first time in his career. Doug Flutie, No. 2 on the depth chart last season, has yet to decide if he'll return, though it seems he is leaning toward retirement.

A late-round draft pick to push Cassel is possible, but such a draft pick won't make the roster.

**

Running back
Starter: Corey Dillon.
Reserves: Patrick Pass, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans, Earl Charles.

Dillon followed his franchise-best 1,635-yard season with a paltry 733 yards and 3.5 yards-per-carry average in an injury-plagued campaign.

Faulk was effective when healthy, but he missed half the season with a broken foot.

Pass contributed more than he ever has, before suffering a hamstring injury that lingered through the second half of the season. The injuries opened the door for Evans, signed at midseason. Known more for his blocking than running, he proved to be a solid ball carrier.

The Patriots will almost certainly take a running back on the first day, to add young legs to the group.

At worst, the rookie will take some of the load off Dillon and keep the team from resorting to signing backs off the street if Dillon, who will turn 32 in October, and Faulk, who turns 30 in June, are again injured.

At best, he'll be the back of the future.

**

Wide receiver
Starters: Deion Branch, Troy Brown, Reche Caldwell.<
Reserves: Bethel Johnson, Bam Childress, Michael McGrew, Rich Musinski, Zuriel Smith, John Stone.

Forget the list of nine names, only four have real NFL experience -- Branch, Brown, Caldwell, and Johnson.

Branch had a career year. Unless he signs an extension, he'll be playing out the final year of his contract.

Brown, who will be 35 when training camp starts, was the team's third-leading receiver. Caldwell, a disappointment in San Diego, hopes to claim the position vacated by David Givens, who signed with the Titans.

Johnson was primed for a breakout year, but never got on track after breaking his foot in the offseason.

The Patriots could take two receivers in the draft. They are positioned to claim any wideout they want, or sit back and take a sleeper in the middle rounds.

**

Tight end
Starters: Daniel Graham, Benjamin Watson
Reserves: None.
Graham and Watson are a good 1-2 combination. Graham is the better blocker, but an underrated pass catcher, and the opposite is true of Watson (29 catches for 441 yards), who showed flashes of excellence in his first full season.

With veteran Christian Fauria leaving for Washington, the Patriots will need to add here.

Belichick has drafted six tight ends in six drafts with New England, and you can expect another one this season.

Texas's David Thomas and Anthony Fasano of Notre Dame could be mid-rounders the team will consider.

**

Offensive line
Starters: Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, Nick Kaczur.
Reserves: Brandon Gorin, Russ Hochstein, Wesley Britt, Gene Mruczkowski, Ross Tucker, Billy Yates, Jeff Roehl, Nick Steitz.

Light (left tackle) should be back to normal after a broken leg cost him most of the 2005 season. Mankins (guard) and Kaczur (tackle) had good rookie years. Neal's re-signing was important, as otherwise Hochstein would have been favored to start at guard. He subbed for Koppen (shoulder) at center for the final nine games.

With Hochstein a backup inside and Gorin a reserve outside, the group is experienced and solid, but far from spectacular.

League sources say the Patriots have shown interest in a number of draft-eligible tackles projected to be third- and fourth-round picks. If they grab one, training camp competition for roster spots would be quite entertaining.

Defense & Special teams

This is perhaps the team's most stocked position, and now with Seymour under a long-term contract, its most stable.

Seymour, Warren, and Wilfork form the league's top three-man front. Green is a better-than-average backup and pass rush specialist.

Hill has been a disappointment thus far, but is expected to earn a spot in the rotation. Wright surprised many by making the roster last year, and should be a holdover.

Klecko will be hard-pressed to make the team.

The Patriots hosted a few draft-eligible linemen -- the confirmed visits were from rush ends likely to go in the second to fourth rounds -- but this isn't a position of need.

**

Linebacker
Starters: Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Rosevelt Colvin, Monty Beisel.
Reserves: Tully Banta-Cain, Eric Alexander, Ryan Claridge, Don Davis, Larry Izzo.

The team took a hit -- on the field and in the locker room -- with Willie McGinest's exit via free agency. Chad Brown, a starter inside for the first third of the season, and reserve Matt Chatham are gone as well.

The team will almost surely draft a player here, and if it's a first- or second-round pick, he could start. Belichick likes college defensive ends to convert to outside backer, but there are a couple of natural linebackers in the draft (Ohio State's Bobby Carpenter, Iowa's Chad Greenway) that are suited for the 3-4.

Don't be surprised if the Patriots make a move for Kamerion Wimbley (Florida State) in the first round, or Chris Gocong (Cal Poly) in the third or fourth.

**

Defensive back
Starters: Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Rodney Harrison, Eugene Wilson.
Reserves: Randall Gay, Hank Poteat, Chad Scott, Antwain Spann, Eric Warfield, Artrell Hawkins, Tebucky Jones, Mel Mitchell, James Sanders, Guss Scott, Raymond Ventrone.

The Patriots began the 2004 season with eight defensive backs on the roster. They began 2005 with 10. Today there are already 15 DBs on the team, and you can expect another draftee or two this weekend. Get the picture?

Belichick is determined not to have to use Troy Brown again in 2006.

The Patriots have taken serious looks at a couple of safeties in the draft, and appear to be genuinely interested in grabbing one in the second or third round.

A cornerback with the 21st overall pick is a possibility. He would likely battle with Hobbs for a starting spot on the corner, with the loser being the top nickel back.

**

Special teams
Starters: Martin Gramatica (kicker), Josh Miller (punter), Lonie Paxton (long snapper).
Reserves: Jon Condo (long snapper).
Uh-oh. Kicker Adam Vinatieri accepted an offer from Indianapolis, leaving a hole there for the first time in 10 years.

Gramatica, out of the league for a year, gets first crack at the position, though a rookie seventh-round pick or undrafted free agent will be brought in to provide competition.

Miller had one of his best seasons, so no punter is needed. Paxton continued to be one of the most consistent snappers in the league.

Often overlooked, expect the Patriots to favor defensive backs with return experience, as they look to replace Tim Dwight and Andre' Davis.

This article appears courtesy of The Boston Globe.