Another year, another group of players added to the Patriots’ roster through the draft.

The Patriots turned 11 draft picks into nine over the three-day event, adding a cornerback, two offensive lineman, a defensive lineman, two receivers, a hybrid safety/linebacker, a linebacker, and a quarterback.

The players in this year’s crop of draftees hail from the Big 10, the SEC, the Pac-12, the ACC, the Ohio Valley Conference, and the American Athletic Conference. Eight players have their degrees. Two are in the middle of earning a second undergraduate degree. One is in the middle of a graduate program.

“They have no idea what they’re getting into,” coach Bill Belichick said on his Saturday conference call. “It’s not their fault. We all had to go through it at some point or another. They’re going to get a big dose of what they probably haven’t had a whole lot of certainly any time recently. It’s a big load. The competition level is going to step up. The volume is going to step up.

“In the NFL you’re fighting for a job so it’s a whole new ball game. Those guys have a lot to absorb, a lot to learn, but just like every other rookie class they’ll get through it. We’ll have some ups and downs, but we’ll start the process on Thursday night when they come in. We’ll just be grinding away here for the next few weeks.”

Cyrus Jones, CB, Alabama

Round: 2. Pick: 60.

Height: 5-10. Weight: 196.

Hometown: Baltimore.

Age: 22

Background: Jones started his college career as a receiver, catching four passes in 11 games as a true freshman. He switched to defense as a sophomore in 2013. He excelled as a punt returner, taking four back for touchdowns as a senior . . . He was arrested on April 29, 2015, and charged with third degree domestic violence criminal mischief and third degree domestic violence harassment. The charges were subsequently dropped . . . Though Jones’s Twitter handle is conventional, his display name is not. It reads #ClampClampington. Here’s why: “My best friend actually watched one of my games and I had a good game. I forget which game it was and he said that I played so well that it looked like my name should be Clamp Clampington and I just thought it was pretty hilarious at the time and kind of catchy. I ended up changing it on all my social media pages and it just went on from there.” . . . For every game he played at Alabama, he paid homage to his hometown by writing “410” (the area code) and “Baltimore” on his wrist tape . . . He started playing football when he was 4. . . . He was a three-sport athlete in high school — football, basketball, and track & field. As a senior, he scored 25 touchdowns and then became his high school’s all-time leading scorer in basketball . . . He grew up a Ravens fan.

He said it: “Playing for Coach [Nick] Saban — he’s a great coach, arguably one of the best, arguably the best in the country — and I’ve heard many things that he’s compared to Coach [Bill] Belichick and that our program is ran similar to how the Patriots’ is run. I feel as though I’m greatly prepared for the next level thanks to Coach Saban and the people I had around me for four years, just getting me ready both on and off the field.”

Nick Caserio, Patriots director of player personnel: “Versatile player, played on the perimeter mostly at Alabama, was very effective punt returner, had four punt-return touchdowns his senior season. [He] has really good ball skills, really good with the ball in his hands as a returner, kind of has some position versatility and has additional value on fourth down.”

Make your reads: Baltimore’s own Cyrus Jones seeks respect nearing the NFL draft. Jones looks to inspire Baltimore as his team plays for a national title.

Joe Thuney, OL, NC State

Round: 3. Pick: 78

Height: 6-5. Weight: 304.

Hometown: Centerville, Ohio

Age: 23

Background: The Patriots covet position flexibility from their offensive linemen, and that appears to be one of Thuney’s strengths. He played center, guard, and tackle for the Wolfpack, and was named an all-ACC performer his final two seasons. He spent most of his senior season at left tackle and played in 41 career games. During 589 snaps of Atlantic Coast Conference play last season, he did not allow a sack at left tackle . . . He earned an undergraduate degree in accounting with a minor in Spanish. He is nine hours of study abroad credit short of earning a second degree in international studies . . . In high school, he helped Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio) High to two state championships. He was also a two-year starter for the basketball team, leading his high school league in rebounding as a junior. He was the class president as a senior . . . He grew his hair out for 21 months to then cut it to donate it . . . He has a love of Skittles . . . He can solve a Rubik’s Cube in about a minute. His record is 58 seconds.

He said it: “I think I see myself as more of an interior guy: more as guard, center. If it gets to a pinch in the game, I can go at tackle but it’s really where ever coach wants me to play. And I have experience at all five so wherever he sees me best, I think that’s the best fit for me. . . Just on the interior, I feel more comfortable. I don’t have the typical length of a typical NFL tackle but I feel like I move and pull and have the leverage on the interior.”

Caserio: “I think the thing about Thuney is his overall versatility. He started at guard. He started at left tackle this past season. Actually, when Dante [Scarnecchia] went down there to work him out, we actually snapped him, worked him at center. Whether he can actually play center is yet to be seen but the overall value he brings in terms of versatility is something that’s hard to find. Typically you have guys that can only play one position. They’re just a tackle, just a guard or just a center. But here’s a player that actually played two different positions. He actually, three if you want to include right and left guard. I’d say he played guard and tackle. Very productive, very durable, very bright. Probably as intelligent as anybody at that position so that was the pick there.”

Jacoby Brissett, QB, NC State

Round: 3. Pick: 91.

Height: 6-4. Weight: 231.

Hometown: West Palm Beach, Fla.

Age: 23.

Background: Brissett started his career at the University of Florida, starting three games over his two seasons. After sitting out the 2013 season as a transfer, he started every game over his final two seasons. His size makes it hard for defensive players to bring him down, but Brissett is also quick enough to make plays with his feet . . . He earned his communications degree from NC State in December . . . As a high school junior, he led Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) to its first state championship. As a senior, he threw for 2,743 yards, 32 touchdowns, and one pick.

He said it: “I had a great visit when I went up there with those guys a couple of weeks ago and I’m just overly joyed and excited about the opportunity to learn from the greatest in the business in Coach Belichick, and Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady. When I got my call it was crazy.”

Belichick: “He’s a good player, a good kid. We’ll see how it goes.”

Caserio: “Jacoby was a guy we spent a lot of time with. We brought him in, kind of went through exercises with him. … Two-year starter in the ACC, big guy, good size, athletic, strong, did a better job of taking care of the football this year, decent touchdown to interception ratio. He played in a couple quality programs.”

Thuney: “He was always putting in extra time in the film room. He was there before practice, always before anyone else. He just is always so enthusiastic and always optimistic and positive. It was fun to play for him and he just exuded confidence. . . He’s very confident. He is very assured. Even if it’s a bad play [inaudible], we had a 40-yard pass play, he’s very level-headed, even keeled. You know what you are going to get from him, and just a great guy to play with.”

Make your reads: Jacoby Brissett was humbled by his experience at Florida, but “wants to prove everyone wrong.” Brissett finds his home at NC State.

Vincent Valentine, DL, Nebraska

Round: 3. Pick: 96.

Height: 6-4. Weight: 329.

Hometown: Edwardsville, Ill.

Age: 22

Background: He played three seasons for the Cornhuskers after redshirting as a freshman. He earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in the spring of 2013. He was limited to seven starts last season because of knee and ankle injuries. He graduated in December with a degree in sociology. He chose to forgo his senior season of eligibility . . . He can squat 745 pounds . . . His weight was a constant topic while at Nebraska. As a freshman, he weighed 344 pounds. Before the 2014 season, his weight dropped to 318. But last summer, he again had to lose weight, dropping about 20 pounds and entering the Cornhuskers’ fall camp weighing 320 pounds. He did so in an attempt to be an “every-down monster,” rather than “loafing a little bit.”

He said it: “I’m just willing to play whatever position the Patriots put me in and I’ll support the coaches 100 percent. They support me because they picked me as a draft pick. I’m just excited to join the program and just give it my all and give 100 percent every day.”

Caserio: “This guy’s a big guy. He’s long, 6-4 or 6-5, 315, 320 pounds and the thing about him — when you watch Nebraska, you’re actually watching he and Maliek Collins, who the Cowboys took there at the top of the third round. You’re talking about two NFL defensive tackles. They’re a little bit different. Collins is a little bit more undersized, little bit more of a two or three technique. Valentine actually played anywhere from zero all the way out to five techniques. He’s primarily an interior defensive tackle, but very strong, very physical, good run player, well-coached, playing for Coach [Bo] Pelini. That program, we have a lot of respect for Coach Pelini, his program and what he did there.”

Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia

Round: 4. Pick: 112.

Height: 6-0. Weight: 198.

Hometown: Valdosta, Ga.

Age: 22.

Background: With 4.45 speed in the 40-yard dash and decent size, Mitchell could give the Patriots the vertical deep threat they’ve lacked. The Valdosta, Ga., native struggled with injuries at Georgia, including an ACL tear that forced him to miss all but one game in 2013. The Bulldogs also used Mitchell at cornerback in a pinch during the 2012 season . . . One of the interesting aspects to Mitchell’s story comes off the field. Not an avid reader as a child, he wrote a children’s book while he was a student at Georgia, and joined a book club in Athens, Ga., made up of older women. He touts the importance of reading while talking to students at elementary schools . . . He graduated in December with a degree in communication studies.

He said it: “If people are more focused on becoming the best person they can be, reaching their full potential, all the outside noise really doesn’t matter. That goes for on or off the field. You do whatever it takes to put yourself in the position you want to be. It doesn’t matter what other people say. It doesn’t matter what other people think because honestly it’s all about making sure that you are doing the best you can to reach your full potential, and that’s why joining the book club had no social challenges as far as the way that I thought that people would think about me. So, it was really irrelevant how other people looked at the situation. It was all about how I could grow from being in that particular situation.”

Belichick: “Solid kid, yeah, absolutely. He’s got a good story. [He] works hard, and [he’s] versatile. He’s a good player.”

Make your reads: From receiving to reading, Malcolm Mitchell’s book is a reflection of his own journey. Mitchell’s book carries the message that altered his life.

Kamu Grugier-Hill, DB/LB, Eastern Illinois

Round: 6. Pick: 208.

Height: 6-2. Weight: 215.

Hometown: Papakolea, Hawaii

Age: 22.

Background: Grugier-Hill wasn’t invited to the Scouting Combine, but turned heads — and worked his way up draft boards — with his Pro Day performance, running a 4.45 40-yard dash with a 38 ½-inch vertical leap. As a senior appearing in 10 games, recovered three fumbles and had one interception. Though he played linebacker in college, his size could fit the safety/linebacker hybrid position that NFL teams are using . . . He said Patriots backup quarterback and former Eastern Illinois teammate Jimmy Garoppolo mentored him throughout the draft process this year . . . Grugier-Hill’s college coach, Dino Barbers, played at the University of Hawaii and secured his first coaching job at Kaiser High in Honolulu. That experience allowed him to grow familiar with the state and its talent, which led to Grugier-Hill and three friends going to Eastern Illinois. “Never in a million years I would’ve thought I would’ve been here, but it’s a great blessing,” Grugier-Hill said in 2014 . . . He can do a seated 58-inch box jump.

He said it: “Yeah, I talked to Coach Belichick. He just said welcome to the team and I just told him thanks for this opportunity and I’m ready to roll.”

Belichick: “He’s an interesting player. He is kind of built like a safety, plays like a linebacker. [He] plays a lot down in the box, as a linebacker would. Physically he is probably built a little more like a safety. I think that part of his value to our team would be in the kicking game just based on the position he plays. And then defensively, probably just like a lot of guys, we’re just going to have to figure out what the best fit would be. I would say that the traits that he has of being smart, fast, tough, and a good tackler, those are things that we feel we will be able to find a way to utilize those, maybe in some different packages, or matchups, or situations, or whatever it happens to be. I think he’s got some things going for him but maybe a little less conventional than some other players and other positions.”

Make your reads: Three Hawaiians find their way on Eastern Illinois roster.

Elandon Roberts, LB, Houston

Round: 6. Pick: 214.

Height: 6-2. Weight: 215.

Hometown: Port Arthur, Texas

Age: 22.

Background: Roberts had a monster senior year with the Cougars, with 88 solo tackles (most in the country), 142 total tackles, 6 sacks, 1 interception, and 2 forced fumbles. He wasn’t invited to the combine, and was projected as a seventh-round draft choice, but was named a defensive captain as a senior, with first-year Houston head coach Tom Herman calling Roberts one of the best leaders he’s ever coached . . . Roberts chose to play at Houston because it’s close to home and his family could come watch him . . . Roberts says he models his game after Ray Lewis, watching film of him before every game for Houston for both the football aspects as well as how he led his teammates. “He’s just a 24/7/365 ball of intensity,” Herman said of Roberts . . . He worked last year to become more nimble and flexible to change his body, even working yoga into his workout routine. “He wasn’t even the same player in training camp that he was in spring ball,” Herman said recently. “In spring ball he was just a stiff guy that we were hoping one of the young signees could come in and replace. He’s a self-made man. He lived in those four months from spring practice to August in the training room, weight room, stretching, mobility, treatment, yoga, you name it. He came out in training camp as a different guy.” . . . Two brothers also played Division 1 football, Jeremiah at Iowa and Calvin at Oklahoma State.

He said it: “Just growing up my family was just a strong family. My dad, he was an Army guy so we lived in a very structured household. He wasn’t too strict but at the same time we always want to be our own leaders. My dad went by the saying of ‘Don’t be a follower, be a leader’, and I think that’s what comes in on the field for me. I know with the New England Patriots organization that you see a lot of players that are leaders on the field and I’m just glad and I’m blessed to be a part of the organization.”

Belichick: “Well I think Elandon’s a very instinctive player. I think you can see that on film. Whatever his measureables are, he plays to them. He plays fast, he plays strong, and he’s very productive in terms of being around the ball so we’ll see how all that translates at our level. He seems to be a very instinctive player, a smart player, has good awareness and can find the ball.”

Make your reads: How Elandon Roberts transformed himself into an NFL prospect. Tackling machine Elandon Roberts may be small, but he has the heart to succeed in the NFL. Roberts is the “heart and soul” of the Houston defense.

Ted Karras, OL, Illinois

Round: 6. Pick: 221.

Height: 6-3. Weight: 307.

Hometown: Indianapolis

Age: 23.

Here’s new @Patriots draft pick @_teddy_k in action. He’s a BEAST! #Illini https://t.co/zBYNwrOL7R

— Illini Football (@IlliniFootball) April 30, 2016

Background: Karras is the great-nephew of Alex Karras, who played for the Lions and went on to become a television actor. Three other members of the Karras family also played in the NFL. He missed the final four games of his junior season with torn ligaments in his left knee, but he returned for his senior year and started all 12 games, bringing his college total to 43, all at right guard . . . In December 2014, he earned his degree in communication. In 2015, he was working toward a master’s degree in recreation, sport, and tourism. . . . Before every game, he pours two bottles of water on his head and then yells. “It started in high school. I always felt I had to play football being wet. I know that’s kind of weird but that’s about it. I don’t really have that many superstitions. I try to follow the same routine. I know if I play center, I know I’m not going to be able to get that wet.” Even when it’s cold? “You’re definitely cold, but I’ve never really felt the temperature of a game when I’m playing. When you’re playing, especially O-line, I’m no sleeves, no tights guy. When you’re playing football, there’s no reason to ever think about the temp as an O-lineman.” . . . As a freshman at Illinois, he would frequently throw up before practice because he was so nervous . . . His intensity level on game days is legendary. “We talked a lot about controlling that anxiety and wasted energy,” Karras’ high school coach, Mic Roessler, told ESPN last fall. “But, on the field, he’d just go into a whole other level of intensity that I wish you could bottle up and give to more kids.” . . . He put on 110 pounds between his freshman and sophomore seasons in high school.

What are family gatherings like at the Karras household? Push-ups. Lots of push-ups. @_teddy_k http://t.co/GepJ6sXGAz

— Illini Football (@IlliniFootball) October 14, 2015

He said it: “My whole family is football players and football coaches. Every male in my family has played college football. I’ll be in the fifth in the NFL in my family and I’m very grateful to join that fraternity. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to play in the NFL. . . . We’re a tough family. We’ve all played and everyone’s an interior lineman. That’s kind of been our MO throughout me growing up. I knew I was going to be a lineman early and they’ve been giving me tips throughout each stage of my career and I’ve been able to deliver so far.”

Belichick: “Well, you can really never have too much depth in this league. So, we’ll see how it goes, but I think we’ll have a good competitive situation there. Overall, I think [there’s] competition on the offensive line. We’ll see how it all plays out. Some of those guys play multiple spots. I would say [Ted] Karras, [Joe] Thuney, and then we have a lot of guys that haven’t played a lot of spots . . .”

Make your reads: Illinois OL Teddy Karras finds success by controlling intensity.

Devin Lucien, WR, Arizona State

Memories

A video posted by Devin Lucien (@d_lucien15) on Jan 5, 2016 at 3:49pm PST

Round: 7. Pick: 225.

Height: 6-2. Weight: 195.

Hometown: Encino, Calif.

Age: 23.

Background: He spent his first three seasons at UCLA before transferring as a graduate student to Arizona State for his senior year, when he caught 66 passes for 1,075 yards and 8 touchdowns. At UCLA, he had 58 receptions for 752 yards and 4 scores. Over his final three games with the Sun Devils, Lucien caught 21 passes for 534 yards and 5 touchdowns . . . He earned his degree from UCLA last year.

He said it: “It was a lot different, I’m not going to sit here and lie to you guys. It was a lot different because at UCLA, it was more of a spread, kind of like Oregon. I feel like Arizona State, it was a spread team, don’t get me wrong, but they had some pro-style wrinkles to it so instead of pulling one word that would call the entire route or play at UCLA, at Arizona State, they had tags and different words but it would just be one word for the entire play. That was the biggest thing, just adjusting to that, but I was able to adjust quickly, there are just a lot of moving parts in football, not just learning the offense.”

Belichick: “You very rarely see a player do what Devin did. Transfer within the conference. Of course he came back and played really well against UCLA. I think there was a relationship that he had with the quarterback and that certainly benefited him and he had a good year at Arizona State, better than what he had previously had at UCLA. But it’s an unusual situation where you have a player like that go in the same conference and so you can kind of see him against the same competition but with a different team and a different offense. It was interesting but he did, he went down there and had a good year with like you said, not much practice, not much lead up. It’s good. It’s good for him.”

Make your reads: UCLA WR Devin Lucien ready for new start at ASU.

Related:

■ Ben Volin: Draft results won’t affect Patriots’ AFC East dominance

Follow Rachel G. Bowers on Twitter @RachelGBowers. Follow Michael Whitmer on Twitter @GlobeWhitmer.