Using a first-round round pick on a running back can be a dicey proposition. Just ask Bill Belichick, who has only drafted one back in the first round in the 11 drafts he’s presided over while with the Patriots. But that hasn’t stopped the pre-draft chatter that’s linked running back Mark Ingram to New England with the 17th overall pick on Thursday.

Ingram to the Patriots does make sense on some levels. The 2009 Heisman winner, the 5-foot-9, 215-pound Ingram has many characteristics you’d find in a classic back: He played 39 games at Alabama and finished with 3,261 yards on 572 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per carry. In addition, his background with a former Belichick assistant — Nick Saban coached him with the Tide — means that the Patriots will get the straight story about any reported knee issues.

“I know him and coach Saban are real close,” Ingram said when he was asked about Belichick. “I heard they’re kind of similar in their coaching styles and how they run things.”

“I know he’s not your ideal measurables guy,” ESPN’s Todd McShay said of Ingram. “He doesn’t have the prototypical body and he doesn’t run the fast 40 time, but his instincts and the way he runs — pad level, low center of gravity, ability to create yards after contact — he has such a great sense of the cut-back lane, and I think more so than any running back in this class, he feels blocks happening ahead of time.”

But when you take a hard look at the Patriots and their needs, the thought of a running back to New England the first round doesn’t match up. The Patriots were in the top 10 in most major rushing categories in 2010, including total rushing yards (1,973), yards per attempt (4.3) rushing yards per game (123.3) and rushing fumbles (two).

Those numbers came in large part from the work of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who was in the top 20 in most major rushing categories, including carries (229), total yards (1,008), yards per carry (4.4) and rushing touchdowns (13). In addition, Green-Ellis didn’t fumble once all season, and he’s making a relative pittance compared to the league’s other 1,000-yard backs.

At the same time, when it comes to Belichick’s draft history, trying to find a pattern can be an exercise in futility. But one element is clear — the Patriots not only have been reluctant to pick a running back in the first round, they rarely go after a skill position player. Belichick has presided over 11 drafts in New England, and the Patriots have taken three skill position players in the first round — Laurence Maroney in 2006, Ben Watson in 2004 and Daniel Graham in 2002. And since selecting Maroney, they’ve almost completely steered clear of running backs over the last four years, only selecting Justise Hairston in the sixth round of the 2007 draft.

That’s not to intimate that they haven’t gone after running backs. Instead, they’ve preferred to look for value at the position, combing the waiver wire for a gem like Danny Woodhead and plucking undrafted free agents like Green-Ellis. When they have gone after running backs in the draft, more often than not they’ve gone after late-round or undrafted value as opposed to big names. (For more on this topic, check out this exhaustive piece from DJ Bean on the history of drafting running backs.)

When it comes to Ingram, there’s not only the Patriots’ drafting history to think about, but also the fact that New England enters the draft with far greater needs than running back. The Patriots have struggled to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks the last two years. And the New England offensive line is in a state of flux, with one starter from last season already retired (Stephen Neal) and another veteran a free agent (Matt Light).

Considering their success running the ball last season, the Patriots could instead pass on Ingram in the first round and go for a premier pass-rusher and/or offensive lineman. Then in the second round, they could focus on a back like Kendall Hunter, Ryan Williams, Roy Helu Jr. or Mikel LeShoure, all of whom would likely be available with either the No. 33 or No. 60 pick. (If/when free agency opens, New England also could kick the tires on a number of proven veterans there as well.)

It’s a philosophy a former Belichick personnel man happens to believe in.

“Running backs, you can find them. Look at Chris Ivory from Tiffin College. He comes in the NFL and plays very well for the Saints,” said Mike Lombardi of the NFL Network, who worked with Belichick in Cleveland. “I just think you have to buy what you can’t find in the top 10. So that’s why I would focus on that. Receivers, look at Green Bay. There’s not a first-round pick on the field. They have two twos, a seventh-round pick and a third-round pick. I think you can find those guys.”