The stud out of the University of Alabama agreed to a four-year deal today with New England, meaning that their entire draft class (seven players) of 2012 will report to training camp on time. Ironically, the youngsters are due to arrive tomorrow in Foxborough.
Picked 25th overall in the first round, Hightower was obtained after the Pats traded up with Denver to get him. They shipped the Broncos the 31st overall pick and a fourth-round selection (126th overall) as well. That alone should tell you how intent they were on getting him since New England pretty much never trades up for anybody.
For the Crimson Tide who were BCS champions, Hightower last year was a first-team All-America selection by the Associated Press and a second-team All-SEC selection. He started 12 games for Alabama, leading them with 85 tackles (11 for a loss), four sacks, eight quarterback hits, one interception and one forced fumble.
Everyone knows that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Alabama head coach Nick Saban are very close friends so there is no doubt that they talked about Hightower often the last few seasons and before the draft. If he wasn't that good or a complete knucklehead (doubtful since he was a captain), odds are that Saban would have let Belichick know.
He could be a bust but from what we've seen in college, Hightower has all the physical tools and attributes to be a successful NFL player. He was one of the most outstanding linebackers in the nation, at one of the best programs and in the top conference (SEC). You can't be much more prepared out of college than that. At 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, he's a freak athlete that is big enough to play middle linebacker but fast enough to play outside linebacker. That gives Belichick a bunch of options and a major playmaking ability which is something the Patriots defense can always use.
I expect much more from him initially than New England's other first-round pick: defensive end Chandler Jones of Syracuse. Jones seems like a project whereas Hightower is polished. We shall see I guess but if you watch college football regularly and you root for the Patriots, you have to be understandably excited about Dont'a's potential.
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