FOXBORO, Mass. – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft likes to refer to his team as a family.

Two of his newest players appear to fit nicely with that philosophy, at least from what they said in their first visit to Gillette Stadium following their selection in the NFL Draft.

Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork of Miami and tight end Benjamin Watson of Georgia visited the defending Super Bowl champions home field Thursday.

They posed with Kraft and his eldest son, team vice chairman Jonathan Kraft, for the traditional photos of draft picks holding ceremonial jerseys emblazoned with the number 1, signifying their selection in the first round.

Wilfork, taken with the 21st overall selection, will wear No. 75 and Watson, taken with the 32nd pick, will wear No. 84 when the team’s rookie orientation camp begins Friday.

Their arrival ahead of the other draft picks and rookie free agents gave them an early opportunity to survey their new surroundings.

Pats sign seven

The New England Patriots on Thursday signed seven rookie free agents and invited them to participate in this weekend’s minicamp.

The team signed linebackers Eric Alexander of Louisiana State, Quinn Dorsey of Oregon and Grant Steen of Iowa; defensive tackle Louis Gachelin of Syracuse; cornerback Randall Gay of Louisiana State; punter/kicker Cody Scates of Texas A&M; and long snapper Brian Sawyer of Florida State.

The team now has 86 players on its roster.

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man,” Wilfork said. “That’s why I’m standing here today. A lot of people meeting me for the first time could tell I’m different. I’m a family man. I enjoy my family and football. I’m a sports fanatic and I love my family.”

Watson, a 6-3, 253-pound tight end who attended Duke before transferring to Georgia, is one of six children in an athletically minded family.

“God blessed me with great talent and good genetics,” he said. “My dad played ball. My mother swam. I pride myself in leaving no stone unturned as far as being the most prepared that I can be.”

Watson, highly regarded for his strength and athleticism, said having good workout numbers will not be enough for him to get where he wants to be with the Patriots.

“The further along I’ve gone in football, the more of a student of the game you have to be,” he said. “Everybody can run and jump. On this level, everybody can do everything well and many times better than you can. So definitely, on this level, I’ll become even more a student of the game as far as breaking down film and taking notes and stuff like that in order to be successful.”

Wilfork is seen as a replacement for nose tackle Ted Washington, who left the Patriots via free agency for the Oakland Raiders. Washington’s run-stopping ability was crucial to the success of the Patriots 3-4 defense, so Wilfork knows he has his work cut out for him.

“I’m so anxious just to get in the (meeting) room with books and learn,” he said. “Nothing’s been said about my role, but whatever it is, I’m willing to do whatever will help the team.”

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