AFC East: Even the Patriots have needs to fill

The first in a series on division needs leading up to the April 26-27 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots are the class of the AFC East -- and the conference. To catch them, it will take shrewd drafting by the other three teams in the division, maybe for a couple of years to get even close.

Vernon Gholston could be a strong addition to the Patriots' scheme. (US Presswire)

The Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets have a long way to go to catch the Patriots. That's why April's NFL Draft is so important to those three teams. To be the division champ, you have to out-draft the current king, and that's tough to do.

But even New England, for all of the success it had in going 16-0 in the regular-season in 2007, has needs. Not as many as the other three teams in the division, but still enough to warrant concern.

So here's our first look at the draft needs of all the NFL's 32 teams, kicking it off with the AFC East.

New England Patriots

The skinny: When you win all your regular season games and end up in the Super Bowl, you don't need that much. But this is a team that prides itself on drafting well. Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick do a heck of a job. And they have the seventh overall pick, which they can use to move down if they want.

Primary need: Corner. They lost Asante Samuel and Randall Gay to free agency, so they must get somebody who can step in and play. Jason Webster can give them a little time to bring that player along.

Secondary needs: An outside pass rushing linebacker for their 3-4 and an offensive tackle. Their tackles got handled in the Super Bowl and Matt Light isn't a kid anymore.

Possible targets: Troy State cornerback Leodis McKelvin or South Florida corner Mike Jenkins. Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston is also a possibility.

Summary: If not for Spygate, the AFC Champions would have two first-round picks, but they forfeited their own pick, 31st overall, as part of the punishment handed down by the league. With the seventh overall pick, acquired from San Francisco last year, they can get an impact player or move down and get additional picks. This smart-drafting team will do the right thing.

Buffalo Bills

The skinny: The Bills are a team getting better each year. They have a lot of good, young talent and might be one draft away from pushing for a Wild-card spot. They've drafted well in recent years and they have to hope that continues.

Primary need: They want to add a receiver who can help take some coverage away from Lee Evans. They could do it in the first round or they could opt to wait until the second round and take a corner or a defensive lineman in the first round.

Secondary needs: Cornerback, tight end and defensive line.

Possible targets: McKelvin, Jenkins, Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly or Texas wide receiver Limas Sweed.

Summary: They should get a player who can come in and compete for a starting spot as a rookie with the 11th overall pick in the first round. A bigger receiver like Kelly would be a big help to young quarterback Trent Edwards.

New York Jets

The skinny: They've spent a ton of money in free agency, overpaying in some cases, but they feel they've added key pieces to their team. The addition of offensive guard Alan Faneca and right tackle Damien Woody will help the line, so at least they can focus on other areas in the draft.

Primary need: I think it's a quarterback, but they don't. So we'll go with a premier edge rusher for the 3-4 defense they use, somebody who can make trouble for opposing quarterbacks.

Secondary needs: Quarterback, tight end, running back.

Possible targets: Gholston, McKelvin or Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.

Summary: The Jets have added some pretty good players in the offseason, but they can't miss on that first-round pick. It's too high a pick, too important. McFadden will be an intriguing decision for them if he's still there.

Miami Dolphins

The skinny: This will be the first draft in Miami for the Bill Parcells regime. One thing's for sure: They can't do any worse than this team has done the past five years. The drafting has been terrible. Miami has the first overall pick, but they haven't offered many hints as to what they will do with it. They certainly would love to trade out of the spot if they could.

Primary need: If they decide John Beck isn't the answer, it has to be quarterback. If Beck is, it becomes offensive tackle.

Secondary needs: Tackle, running back, receiver, defensive line.

Possible targets: Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, Virginia defensive end Chris Long or LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.

Summary: This is a team in rebuilding mode. But how much patience does Parcells have? It's not going to be an overnight fix. But that's why this draft is vital to the success of the franchise. It's time to build with homegrown players, not other team's castoffs.