Late in the first half of the New England Patriots 34-10 loss to the Detroit Lions, Tom Brady threw an interception that forced wide receiver Wes Welker into a defensive situation. While tackling Ricardo Silva, Welker injured his neck and left the game. Welker did not return to the game but was able to walk off the field under his own power.

After the game, Welker told Patriots beat writer Karen Guergian that he was OK in spite of the injury. We likely won't hear much of anything from Bill Belichick on the subject, so we'll just have to stick with what Welker said. We'll keep an eye on him in the coming days of practice, although it wouldn't surprise me to see him sit out the next few days and the final preseason game.

Pending further developments, the injury should not affect draft strategies when it comes to Welker. Although the Patriots added Chad Ochocinco this offseason, Welker remains the top receiving threat for the Patriots. Ochocinco will be a significant wild card heading into the 2011 season, but Welker has looked particularly sharp in preseason play. Over the last two games, Welker has eight receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown. He is not a guy you want to rely on as your number one receiver, but as a number two he brings very respectable numbers to the table.