While some of the branches have been pruned from the Bill Belichick coaching tree the last few seasons, there’s still a sizable collection of former assistants and other comrades at the college level who the Patriots’ coach has leaned on for advice throughout the pre-draft process.

There are former assistants running college programs like Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) and Nick Saban (first at LSU, and then Alabama), two coaches Belichick worked with in Cleveland. It’s also clear he’s also sought counsel from Pat Hill (who has since been let go by Fresno State) and Charlie Weis (who moved from Notre Dame to Florida). In addition, Belichick has also openly courted several college coaches like Urban Meyer (formerly Florida, now with Ohio State, Greg Schiano (who has since left Rutgers for Tampa Bay and the NFL) and Tom O’Brien (formerly of Boston College, now of North Carolina State).

While those relationships have provided confirmation on obvious blue-chippers like Aaron Hernandez and Logan Mankins, they’ve also unearthed some surprises like Randall Gay, Dan Koppen, Brandon Deaderick and James Sanders -- relatively unknown players who become important parts in Foxboro over the years.

In addition, the fact that oftentimes the player has already come in contact with Belichick as a collegian also doesn’t hurt the developmental process. The Patriots’ coach was a regular at Rutgers over the years, and Devin McCourty spent time with Belichick breaking down game film as a collegian. He was a familiar presence at the University of Florida when Meyer was with the Gators.

Between 2002 and 2006, 10 of the 41 players the Patriots selected came from schools that employed either a former Belichick assistant or associate as a head coach. And in 2010, six of the players chosen by New England -- McCourty, Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Spikes, Hernandez, Ted Larsen and Deaderick -- played collegiately for coaches who had ties to Belichick. (Those numbers don’t include the numerous undrafted free agents who have been signed from similar schools, like Gay, Notre Dame’s Sergio Brown and Rutgers’ Alex Silvestro.)

In that context, who could continue that tradition this year? If New England has its’ eye on defense, there are a few possibilities, including a pair of players from Saban’s national championship team at Alabama. In addition, there’s a former Florida Gator with a checkered past and a cornerback out of Virginia who can boast of a few connections to Belichick and the Patriots. Here are four candidates:

Alabama safety Mark Barron: Considered the best safety in this year’s draft, he has the good fortune to be coming of age at a time where the safety market is pretty poor, both in free agency and the draft. As a result, the Patriots might have to trade up from No. 27 to try and land him. (Barron has drawn the attention of the Cowboys, who pick at No. 14 overall.) An NFL-ready safety, the 6-foot-2, 218-pound Barron has excellent ball skills -- he had 12 career picks as a collegian. His biggest drawback might be his durability: he had hernia surgery in January, and had a torn pectoral muscle in 2010.

Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw: Another one who played for Saban, Upshaw has been all over the place as the draft approaches. Some still believe he’s someone who won’t be there when the Patriots pick at 27, while others believe he could be around in the second round. His numbers are jaw dropping: in 13 games last season, he registered 8.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hurries and 17 tackles for loss for the national champions. The 6-foot-2, 265-pounder was a hybrid end/backer with Alabama last season, which should make the transition a little smoother if he does end up in New England.

North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins: Jenkins has more baggage than perhaps anyone else in this draft. He was at Florida from 2008 until 2010 (playing for Meyer) before being dismissed for a variety of reasons, including multiple arrests for fighting and marijuana possession. (At the combine, he confessed he already had four children by three women.) As a result, he was forced to end his collegiate career at North Alabama, but the fact that he played for Meyer will guarantee that Belichick will get the straight story on whether or not Jenkins would be a good fit with the Patriots. The 5-foot-10, 191-pound has exceptional quickness and coverage skills, but it remains to be seen if his off-field transgressions cause his stock to drop.

Virginia cornerback Chase Minnifield: Minnifield has a few possible connections to the Patriots. When at UVA, he played two seasons for former Patriots’ assistant Al Groh. In addition, he was a teammate of current New England defensive back Ras-I Dowling. And his father Frank was a member of the Cleveland defense for one season (his final year in the league) under a young head coach named Bill Belichick. Minnifield has a terrific work ethic, and his bloodlines will make him attractive to Belichick. (This is a coach who could already have as many as three second-generation football players on the 2012 roster in Matt Slater, Bobby Carpenter, and if he decides to return, Andre Carter.) At 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, he has good ball skills (13 picks as a collegian), but there are some questions about his health, as a knee injury at the end of the 2011 season prevented him from participating in many aspects of the pre-draft process.