FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots took a first step Friday toward upgrading their aging secondary, selecting cornerback Joejuan Williams in the second round of the NFL draft.

New England chose the former Vanderbilt standout with the No. 45 overall pick. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, he is a physical player who had four interceptions and 14 pass breakups as a junior last season.

The Patriots began the night holding two picks in the second round and three in the third. They traded their top pick of the second round, No. 56 overall, and the lowest of their three picks of the third round, 101st overall, to the Rams to draft Williams.

Williams said he felt good about the possibility of being drafted by New England after going through a private workout for Coach Bill Belichick and his staff. He said Belichick shared that he primarily views Williams as a cornerback, though he is willing to fill any role that’s needed.

“I feel like I can contribute anywhere,” Williams said.

He joins a stacked group at cornerback that already includes Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, J.C. Jackson, Duke Dawson and Keion Crossen.

Williams also joins Obi Melifonwu, primarily a special teamer, as the tallest players in the defensive back group.

Williams said he’s most comfortable playing on the boundary, and he’s looking forward to picking the brain of Gilmore – an All-Pro last season.

“He’s one of the best in the league and I want to be one of the best in the league,” Williams said. “I have to learn from the greats. Whatever he does – eating, sleeping, nutrition, treatment – I want to get from him and try to get off his game. Whether it’s from playbook to life, it’s something I want to learn.”

That said, Williams said he feels like he is a natural leader and exhibited those skills at Vanderbilt, breaking down opposing receivers and sharing that information with his teammates each week.

Aside from helping the team prepare for their upcoming opponent, he said it was early practice for what he wants to do after his football career is over.

“I want to be a coach after this game is over with,” he said. “This is just helping me get to that level. … I watch film like I watch ‘Game of Thrones’ or something. Football just runs in my blood. That’s just how I work.”

As is so often the case, Belichick made several trades to pick up additional picks.

The Patriots dealt the final pick of the second round to Seattle for picks in the third and fourth rounds (Nos. 77 and 118 overall), then traded one of their three third-round picks, No. 73 overall, to the Bears for pick No. 87, a fifth-round pick, and 2020 fourth-round pick.

New England used pick No. 77 to take Chase Winovich, a linebacker/defensive end from Michigan. With the No. 87 pick, they selected Alabama running back Damien Harris.

Then the Patriots traded their compensation pick for losing tackle Nate Solder after the 2017 season, moving down four spots while also sending a fifth-round pick to the Rams for a fourth-round pick. With pick No. 101 overall, they selected West Virginia tackle Yodny Cajuste.

The Patriots spent their lone first-round pick Thursday night on a wide receiver – N’Keal Harry of Arizona State.