Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Some teams liked Jake Bequette at defensive end. Others viewed him as a linebacker.

Bequette, the former Razorback defensive end, is headed to a team that will could use him in both roles.

New England selected Bequette with the 90^th overall pick Saturday. He was the first Razorback taken, going in the third round to the Patriots.

“They showed some early interest in me at the Senior Bowl and at the Combine and then I had a workout in Fayetteville with them and I got a great feeling from them and I guess I really impressed them," Bequette said in a conference call.

During the lead up to the NFL Draft the 6-foot-4, 275-pound Little Rock native worked both linebacker and defensive end drills. It was typical for teams and media to ask what his preference was.

Bequette, who watched the draft with family in Little Rock, said last week he would be happy to play either spot and was getting more comfortable at linebacker after spending his college career at end. Whether a team that ran a 3-4 scheme picked him or a team that ran a 4-3, Bequette said he’d be fine, something he reiterated on Friday.

"I feel very comfortable at both," Bequette said. "I guess that's kind of a soft answer, but it's true. I played the 4-3 end mostly in college, but I also stood up a little bit doing the outside linebacker position in the Senior Bowl and Combine. The more I did it, the more it grew on me, so I feel very comfortable in both. I can't wait to see what the coaches have in store for me."

Analysts had high praise for Bequette, who finished an injury-plagued senior season with 10 sacks. Bequette finished his career with 23.5 sacks.

Bequette’s quickness, work ethic, and intelligence made him an attractive pro prospect. He ran a 4.82 in the 40-yard dash and his speed drills at the NFL Draft Combine ranked high among defensive ends.

And his perceived versatility didn’t hurt.

“Bill Belichick, one the things he likes, is versatile players,” analyst Mel Kiper, Jr., said during ESPN’s draft coverage. “The guy can be a defensive end. He can be an outside linebacker. [Bequette is] a difference maker.”

Bequette, who said he interviewed with three teams prior to the draft, was the final pick of the second round for the Patriots. The two-time team captain joins former Razorback quarterback Ryan Mallett in New England. Mallett was a third-round pick in 2011.

“Jake has a motor that doesn’t quit and was one of the best in the nation at being a disruptive force on the defensive side of the ball,” Arkansas defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell said. “He is a complete person that brings a good work ethic, on-field production and intelligence to the NFL, and I know he can be a factor at the next level.”

Bequette is one of four defensive players picked by the Patriots, including Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones, Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower and Illinois safety Tavon Wilson.

“Jake was a very productive guy in the SEC as a defensive end in their system,” Belichick said Friday during a post-draft press conference. “He did some linebacker stuff at the combine and in the all-star games. But he has primarily been a productive pass rusher for Arkansas over his four years in a good conference.”

Rounds 4-7 will be held Saturday. Potential draft picks for the Razorbacks include wide receivers Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright and linebacker Jerry Franklin.