Last modified: Friday, April 18, 2008 2:26 PM EDT KEITH NORDSTROMCoach Bill Belichick didn’t show a lot of confidence in kicker Stephen Gostkowski in the Super Bowl. Patriots may try to get a leg up BY MARK FARINELLA / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first part of a nine-part series previewing the 73rd annual National Football League draft of college players. Today, the kickers and punters are previewed. FOXBORO - Normally, Draft Day is not a day when punters or kickers already on NFL rosters experience a lot of job anxiety. For the most part, those positions are filled through the vast free-agency ranks. There are plenty of kickers or punters who make their way through college and patiently sit and wait for pro opportunities - and those opportunities always come. But the Patriots' Chris Hanson and Stephen Gostkowski may have reason to feel a few pangs of concern as the 73rd annual NFL draft of college players approaches. If there's anything a player at any position learns when he becomes a member of the Patriots, it's that anything can happen where his position is concerned. Gostkowski, who will be entering his third NFL season, was himself a fourth-round draft choice, and the 118th player selected, in the 2006 draft. That's a very high position for a placekicker, perhaps demanded by the quality of the player (Adam Vinatieri) that he was ticketed to replace. But Gostkowski has been only slightly better than adequate in his two pro seasons, scoring more than 100 points in each but lacking reliability and consistency in his field goals - and it could be argued that when Bill Belichick opted not to send him out to attempt a 49-yard field goal at a crucial juncture of Super Bowl XLII, the vote of "no confidence" had been issued. Hanson, meanwhile, is another journeyman punter among scores of them who make their rounds around the NFL. He benefited from Belichick's disdain for veteran Josh Miller, but punted so infrequently last season, people began to wonder if he actually existed. The point - neither player was so successful last year, nor is so entrenched in Patriot lore, that they couldn't find themselves looking at their potential replacements after the final rounds of the draft conclude on Sunday, April 27. In fact, Hanson already has some competition in the form of 38-year-old veteran Scott Player, who punted last year for Cleveland. In a year in which the Patriots don't have a plethora of picks - just eight, one each in every round and two in the third - Belichick and personnel guru Scott Pioli must ask themselves if there is a punter and kicker worth using one of those precious picks. The answer may be "yes" in the case of Georgia Tech punter (6-0, 204), who was mentored in high school by former Raiders' great Ray Guy. Brooks has never had a punt blocked in college, he gets great hang time and has topped out at 77 yards, and has displayed intense competitiveness. According to Pro Football Weekly and the Ourlads scouting service, Brooks could be worth a fifth- or sixth-round pick. Brooks' quick two-step delivery gives him an edge over North Dakota State's (6-5, 212), a four-year starter with an explosive leg who often outkicked his coverage. Dragosavich had the advantage of kicking in a dome at home, but displayed consistency in his distance on the road and may be worth a seventh-round pick. Other punters worthy of consideration as low-round picks or priority free agents are California's Kansas State's Wisconsin's Boston College's Fordham's and Idaho State's Gostkowski probably won't feel as much pressure over the Draft Weekend, as Wisconsin's (5-10, 185) isn't a clear upgrade. He's smallish and isn't going to be likely to stick his nose into a returner's chest, but he is comfortable kicking in bad weather and excels in kickoffs. The scouts think he may be worth a seventh-round pick. Louisville's (5-8½, 161), another smallish left-footer, was 16-for-16 beyond 40 yards over the past three seasons. His kickoffs are shorter, but he became known for making the pressure kick, which might make it worth the Patriots' while to look at him as a priority free agent. Other kickers worth a trip to training camp include Georgia's , Wagner's , South Dakota State's , Virginia's , San Jose State's , Illinois' and Oregon State's . The Patriots remain set at long-snapper with Lonie Paxton in place, but the best of the lot in the college crop, Indiana's (6-0, 250), might be worth a look as a free agent. SATURDAY: Quarterbacks.