Wisconsin RB James White drafted by Pats at 4.130

The Patriots selected running back James White out of Wisconsin with the 130th overall pick in theNFL draft Saturday.

A fourth-round selection, White is a 5-foot-10, 194-pounder who finished his career ranked No. 4 all-time at Wisconsin with 4,015 rushing yards, including a career-high 1,444 yards on 221 carries (6.5 average) and 13 touchdowns. A consensus second-team All-Big Ten last year, he ranks third all-time at UW in rushing touchdowns (45), and is tied for the eighth-most in Big Ten history. He also ranks third all-time at Wisconsin in total touchdowns (48), the ninth-most by a Big Ten player.

White figures to sit behind Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden when it comes to playing time in 2014, although it is worth noting that all three of those players are heading into the final year of their contracts.

The Patriots have five more picks on the board at this point.​

The pick: James White, RB, Wisconsin

(Mike Reiss) take: The Patriots lost LeGarrette Blount in free agency and figured to come out of this draft with at least one running back. A key consideration is that the top three running backs on the depth chart -- Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden -- all enter the final year of their contracts. White is 5-foot-9 1/8 and 204 pounds and was one of the most sure-handed prospects at the position. He is short for the position, but as we've seen withKevin Faulk, Danny Woodhead and others in New England, that's not always a bad thing. His running style ("violent cuts") looks like a nice fit for the Patriots' zone-blocking scheme.

Added value on special teams: White has 39 career kickoff returns on his resume and could be a consideration in the role in New England.

Running back depth chart: Vereen, Ridley, Bolden, White, Jonas Gray.

What's next: The Patriots have the final pick of the fourth round, 140th overall. It's a compensatory pick that can't be traded.​

The New England Patriots bolstered their running game on draft day, selecting Wisconsin RB James White with their second pick of the fourth round, No. 130 overall.

After spending most of his career as a rotational player behind 2013 NFL Draft pick Montee Ball, White broke out in his senior season with the Badgers, rushing for 1,444 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was also a factor in the passing game, recording 39 receptions as a senior for 300 yards.

The 5-foot-9, 209-pound back didn't stand out at the combine, posting a 4.57-second 40-yard dash. White is compact, but powerful for his size that has been knocked for never truly earning a starting job during his four years at Wisconsin, splitting with Melvin Gordon as a senior.

White enters a Patriots backfield that has a pair of incumbents in Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen. However, both Patriots draft picks are entering a contract year, which, with the offseason departure of LeGarrette Blount, could open the door for White as a developmental back down the road.

Early in his career, White could contribute as a kick returner on special teams and as an option on third down.​

Honors and Awards
2013: Consensus second-team All-Big Ten
2013 Preseason: Doak Walker Award watch list, Maxwell Award watch list, 3rd team All-Big Ten (Athlon, Phil Steele)
2012 Preseason: Named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List
2010: Consensus Big Ten Freshman of the Year ... second-team All-Big Ten (media), honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches) Rivals.com, Sporting News and CollegeFootballNews.com first-team Freshman All-American ... Wisconsin's Rookie of the Year ...Midseason: Named third-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele

Career
Finished career ranked No. 4 all-time at Wisconsin with 4,015 rushing yards ...

ranks third all-time at UW in rushing touchdowns (45), tied for the eighth-most in Big Ten history ...

also ranks third all-time at UW in total touchdowns (48), the ninth-most by a Big Ten player ...

set UW record for career average per rushing attempt at 6.24 yards per carry, the fifth-best mark in Big Ten history ...

with 1,052 rushing yards as a freshman and 1,444 as a senior, became eighth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons ...

in 2013, combined with RB Melvin Gordon (1,609) to set FBS single-season record for rushing yards by teammates at 3,053 yards ...

finished with 18 career 100-yard rushing games, tied for the sixth-most in school history ...

combined with teammates to give UW multiple 100-yard rushers in a game 15 times ...

recorded longest run in school history with 93-yard TD run on UW's first play from scrimmage vs. Indiana on Nov. 16, 2013 ...

set school record for receiving yards by a running back with 670 for his career ...

finished career ranked No. 4 all-time at UW with 5,450 all-purpose yards ...

did not start a game at running back until season opener of senior year in 2013 ...

finished with 12 starts at RB in 52 career games (also two starts at slot receiver)​

Three early thoughts on running back James White, who was taken 130th overall by the Patriots out of Wisconsin on Saturday:

1. White is considered a good pass blocker who is able to deliver consistent yardage in the ground game. The 5-foot-10, 194-pounder finished his career ranked No. 4 all-time at Wisconsin with 4,015 rushing yards, including a career-high 1,444 yards on 221 carries (6.5 average) and 13 touchdowns. He also offers value on multiple levels, as he had 670 receiving yards (a Wisconsin record for a running back), as well as 39 career kickoff returns for 765 yards.

2. When it comes to playing time in 2014, White figures to sit behind Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden, although it is worth noting that all three of those players are heading into the final year of their contracts. There’s a lot of football between now and the start of the year, but White figures to be fourth on the depth chart when it comes to running back.

3. When it comes to ball security, White has few peers. Maybe the most important thing to remember is that he fumbled just twice in 754 career touches as a collegian.​

Key Stats
The 5-foot-9, 204-pounder rushed for 4,015 yards and 45 touchdowns in four seasons, including 221 times for 1,444 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and 13 scores as a senior. He also caught 39 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns last year. White only fumbled twice in 754 career touches. He ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

The Positives
White is a compact runner with decent elusiveness and speed. He’s got a good low center of gravity and vision, and he’s a respected worker. White is reliable with the ball and can be a good complementary player. He is a competitive blocker.

The Negatives
Stats are inflated by Wisconsin’s system, which routinely churns out productive backs. White isn’t powerful and won’t break many tackles. He was never the primary back for the Badgers.

Potential for 2014
White will compete to back up Shane Vereen as the back in passing downs. He could be the third back on the depth chart behind Stevan Ridley and Vereen​