The New England Patriots apparently believed interior offensive line was a bigger need than most analysts.

The Patriots took a prospect who played guard in college for the third time in four Day 3 picks when they selected UCLA's Atonio Mafi with the 144th overall pick. The Patriots traded back from No. 135 to No. 144 and picked up the 214th overall pick from the Las Vegas Raiders.

New England drafted Troy center/guard Jake Andrews with the 107th overall pick and Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow with the 117th overall pick. They also traded up to grab Maryland kicker Chad Ryland at No. 112 overall. It would have been difficult to predict New England selecting three interior offensive linemen with their first four picks of the third day of the draft.

Mafi, who's 6-foot-3, 329 pounds, is a converted defensive tackle. He was just a one-year starter at UCLA at left guard. Mafi joins Andrews, Sow, starting center David Andrews, left guard Cole Strange, right guard Michael Onwenu and reserves James Ferentz, Chasen Hines, Bill Murray and Kody Russey on New England's interior offensive line depth chart. New England definitely needed better depth behind David Andrews, Strange and Onwenu. They certainly have it now.

Mafi only bench pressed during pre-draft testing. He put up 21 reps of 225 pounds. He participated in the East-West Shrine Game, in which the Patriots coached. He let up just three sacks last season.

The Patriots have yet to draft a quarterback, running back, wide receiver or tight end on offense. They selected Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Georgia Tech defensive lineman Keion White and Sacramento State linebacker Marte Mapu on the first two days of the draft.

Featured image via UCLA Athletics