Ummmm, this is just my opinion, but Phillips couldn't carry Landry's jock. I'm not sure Phillips is a first rounder if he came out last year.
This is just my opinion, but I kind of wish you hadn't said that.
It's well known that I've liked both Maualuga (stayed in school) and Phillips for NE since the 2007 draft, so that pick wouldn't surprise me.
Now, I don't know if they'll go Safety in the first (especially after selecting Meriweather in the first last year), but I do think Safety should be among their early (first four-five) selections.
OT, CB, and OLB seem to be the other main options (in my opinion).
CB: There's a decent amount of CB's in this draft, but not really any who grade out as good value at 7th overall. If NE drafts a CB in the first it's likely going to be Cason, and I expect a trade down would come first.
Safety: This just happens to be among the few positions with a huge dropoff after the top overall prospect. So, maybe NE grabs Phillips knowing they'd like to draft a Safety, and there isn't another Safety in the class with his ability? Maybe another team trades up with NE for Phillips knowing he's the only top level Safety, and NE grabs an additional pick? I do think Phillips value is closer to 10th-14th overall, but maybe the lack of top level Safeties will improve his status. So, I wouldn't really consider it a "reach".
OT: If Jake Long falls I could see them pulling the trigger, but he's probably going top 2-5. Clady could be an option, but is he good enough to push Light over to RT? That's what I'd expect from an OT taken at 7th overall.
OLB: Chris Long seems like the main option, and everyone around him seems to believe NE's system would be the perfect fit. I've thought his pass coverage could use some work, but maybe he could drop a few pounds, and be more effective in this area. NE's top level coaching wouldn't hurt either. But, would he even be available? There's at least three teams selecting before NE who could have Chris as their first option.
Gholston's an option, but I'm not sure about his value at 7th overall. If NE could trade down to the 12-16 range, then he could be good value. I think you believe he's a better prospect than Spencer, yes? The problem is that Spencer was a late first round pick, and never really projected much higher. I'd also say I believe Spencer came into the league with a little more polish, and we both liked him from the early going.
For DonBlackmon55:
Rodney's one of my favorite players, but he's getting older, and close to retirement. He's even talked about retiring over the past year, or so.
Sanders is a nice Safety, but he's not elite, and his coverage still needs to improve. He's also a free agent after the 2008 season, and I could see a few teams offering him something. Maybe he sticks around for the long term and continues to develop, but I'm not counting on his ever getting much better.
Meriweather should develop into a very good Safety, and will likely see most of his playing time at FS. That's one Safety position with a potential top level player locked up long term. What about Strong Safety? Also, having two elite Safeties would help your CB's, and give you more flexibility in the secondary.