Ranking Bill Belichick’s top 10 draft picks with the Patriots originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Bill Belichick’s recent draft classes haven’t produced a ton of star players. But if you look at the entirety of his 24 years running the NFL Draft for the New England Patriots, you can say that no person in league history has hit on more picks.
The Patriots dynasty was largely built through the draft. Belichick hit on plenty of first-round picks, but his greatest strength was finding value in the middle to later rounds.
Taking a chance on Tom Brady with the 199th overall selection in 2000 is the greatest pick of all time, but there are many, many more from Belichick’s tenure in New England.
Here’s a ranking of Belichick’s top 10 draft picks as Patriots head coach, with an honorable mentions list at the bottom. This ranking was based on the performance of the player in New England, combined with the value of where he was selected.
10. Asante Samuel, CB (Fourth round, 2003)
Samuel’s exit from New England wasn’t the smoothest, to say the least, and he never passes up an opportunity to criticize Belichick when given the chance. But there’s no question he was a top player his entire Patriots career and played a key role on two Super Bowl-winning teams in 2003 and 2004. He also led the NFL in interceptions and passes defensed in 2006, while being named a Pro Bowler and first team All-Pro in 2007. Yes, he dropped a potential perfect season-clinching interception in Super Bowl XLII, but an elite cornerback in the fourth round is damn good value.
9. Dan Koppen, C (Fifth round, 2003)
Koppen played nine seasons in New England from 2003 through 2012 and started 120 of the 121 games he played, including two Super Bowl titles in 2003 and 2004. Getting a very good starting center in the fifth round who helped anchor the offensive line for almost a decade is tremendous value. Koppen also was named to the Pro Bowl and was selected second team All-Pro in 2007.
8. Logan Mankins, LG…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-bill-belichicks-top-10-151224338.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-01-11 15:12:24
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