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Offensive lineman Chris Patrick of Nebraska, who was not selected in last week's NFL supplemental draft, signed with the New York Giants as a free agent on Tuesday evening.

Contract details for Patrick, who worked out earlier in the day for Giants coaches, were not immediately available.

Patrick, 22, was generally regarded as the third best prospect in the supplemental pool, which featured only two selections, cornerback Paul Oliver (by San Diego) and offensive tackle Jared Gaither (by Baltimore), in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively. There were a handful of teams that contacted Patrick after he went undrafted.

Certainly the Giants signed Patrick, who started 12 games at left tackle in 2006, with an eye toward the future. New York released starting left tackle Luke Petitgout early in the spring, and he subsequently signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent. It appears the Giants will move four-year veteran Dave Diehl from left guard to tackle to fill the void.

In time, however, Patrick could develop into a viable left tackle candidate, although scouts remain split over his best position at the NFL level. Some talent evaluators feel Patrick may be better suited to play guard, the spot where he aligned in 2005.

The former Cornhuskers standout, a conference all-academic selection in 2006, is still maturing physically, and, at 6 feet 4 and 298 pounds, can probably add more bulk to his frame. At his workout for NFL scouts last month, Patrick was clocked at 5.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash, had a 27-inch vertical jump and performed 31 repetitions in the standard, 225-pound bench press.

According to the Nebraska coaching staff's grading system, Patrick scored 80.9 percent in blocking efficiency in 2006. He had 38 "knockdown" blocks, nine blocks that resulted in touchdowns, and surrendered only two sacks.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.