NEW YORK — Everyone is happy during the NFL draft. Even a star receiver whose career has soured, and a Heisman Trophy winner who sinks to the bottom of the fifth round.

Going so low, on the 174th pick to Baltimore, was a thrill for Ohio State's Troy Smith. And going cross-country from the NFL's worst team to the best of the decade was equally exciting for Randy Moss.

Moss never took advantage of his few opportunities in two seasons with the Oakland Raiders and was dealt to the Patriots on Sunday for a fourth-round pick, No. 110 overall. New England never backs off on a player with talent if coach Bill Belichick and player personnel director Scott Pioli believe they can turn him around.

That's clearly their opinion on the once-dynamic Moss, who even admitted to dogging it on some plays in Oakland.

"Bill and Scott have shown that they can assemble players, especially veteran players, who can acclimate to our culture," Patriots owner Robert Kraft told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "If people don't adjust to our standards, they won't be here."

For now, Moss is in New England, and saying all the right things.

"I've made a lot of money and I still have money in the bank. So by me coming to an organization such as the New England Patriots, why would money be a factor?" Moss said. "I'm still in awe that I'm a part of this organization."

"Just really last night me and coach Belichick really talked for the first time about what's been going on," Moss said. "He asked me how excited I (would be) if the opportunity would present itself for me to become a Patriot and, really, I was overwhelmed because I didn't expect to hear from coach Belichick."

Smith was hopeful he'd hear from some NFL team. Despite leading Ohio State to the verge of the national championship and romping his way to the Heisman, he was viewed as a low-end NFL prospect by most teams.

But the Ravens saw plenty of value in Smith. And he saw the same thing in the Ravens.

"The critics are going to be here for the rest of my life. There's nothing I can do about them," Smith said. "In a lot of ways, they make people stronger or they take people under. My whole life I've been fighting that battle. It turned out positive right now and I'm going to continue to stay the course and fight the critics. They're not going anywhere and I accept them for who they are."

Who Smith will be hanging with is a very impressive group. Indeed, the leadership in Baltimore was one reason general manager Ozzie Newsome was comfortable taking Smith.