Other than Brady,The Top 7 best draft selections in Belichick's tenure

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

With the boring offseason in full bloom and nothing exciting going on for a few weeks,I reflect back to the beginning of Bill's tenure here in 2000 and the athletes he drafted and the players who have been at or beyond expectations.

Since Brady would be the unanimous decision by 99.9% of Pats fans,let's rule him out for this subject.

Your 7 best draft selections in order...1 being the best

1) Vince Wilfork - Had BIG shoes to fill with the Pats coming off 2 great FA NT signings in Washington and then Traylor,but Vince made an immediate impact in a position considered hardest to draft and has proven he is one of the best ever in history in the middle of the front line for the Pats.

2) Rob Gronkowski - Some may say he is not in the league long enough to put him at #2,but from what we have seen the past few years that unless injury becomes an issue,Rob has the potential to go down as the greatest TE of all time.

3) Richard Seymour - Could be higher than #3 but was injured often during his latter years here and missed time,However when he was healthy and younger he was arguably the most dominant DE in the NFL for several years.

4) Jerod Mayo - While Mayo may still lack being the complete all around top ILB,he certainly has solidified one of the positions that Bruschi and Johnson once dominated before he was drafted and is a mentor to guys like Spikes.

5) Deion Branch - I don't think people realize of how much Branch meant to the success of Brady and his passing game in the mid 2000s decade,Branch arguably could go down as Brady's all time favorite receiver since those 2 almost seemed made for each other....in a position where Belichick has failed to draft superstars,Branch is by FAR his best pick.

6) Dan Koppen - This is where the offense starts at every snap and Koppen Has been the stalwart in front of Brady for a long time,rarely has there ever been a mistake of a premature snap or a miscue that caused a turnover,while Koppen has not been the best OL pick in the Belichick era,he certainly has been a warrior you can count on.

7) Asante Samuel - I consider Samuel to have been the best corner drafted by Belichick in his tenure,in another area where Belichick has struggled to find a corner that could provide game changing plays,Samuel had done that here,sone think he was overrated while I think he was a big loss when he left here.

Honorable Mention.....Light,Mankins and Gostkowski

Did I miss anyone?,Do you disagree with the players I chose or where they are ranked?...let me know and let's hear yours.

 

[Gronkandez]

I would put Light and Mankins way ahead of Koppen.

Hernandez should be in the conversation in a year or two.

 

[randomk1]

I like the points about Branch.

I'd put Seymour #1. Early decade was about D and he was one of the most important pieces in that 3-4

 

[NEGoldenAge]

With the boring offseason in full bloom and nothing exciting going on for a few weeks,I reflect back to the beginning of Bill's tenure here in 2000 and the athletes he drafted and the players who have been at or beyond expectations.

Since Brady would be the unanimous decision by 99.9% of Pats fans,let's rule him out for this subject.

Your 7 best draft selections in order...1 being the best

1) Vince Wilfork - Had BIG shoes to fill with the Pats coming off 2 great FA NT signings in Washington and then Traylor,but Vince made an immediate impact in a position considered hardest to draft and has proven he is one of the best ever in history in the middle of the front line for the Pats.

2) Rob Gronkowski - Some may say he is not in the league long enough to put him at #2,but from what we have seen the past few years that unless injury becomes an issue,Rob has the potential to go down as the greatest TE of all time.

3) Richard Seymour - Could be higher than #3 but was injured often during his latter years here and missed time,However when he was healthy and younger he was arguably the most dominant DE in the NFL for several years.

4) Jerod Mayo - While Mayo may still lack being the complete all around top ILB,he certainly has solidified one of the positions that Bruschi and Johnson once dominated before he was drafted and is a mentor to guys like Spikes.

5) Deion Branch - I don't think people realize of how much Branch meant to the success of Brady and his passing game in the mid 2000s decade,Branch arguably could go down as Brady's all time favorite receiver since those 2 almost seemed made for each other....in a position where Belichick has failed to draft superstars,Branch is by FAR his best pick.

6) Dan Koppen - This is where the offense starts at every snap and Koppen Has been the stalwart in front of Brady for a long time,rarely has there ever been a mistake of a premature snap or a miscue that caused a turnover,while Koppen has not been the best OL pick in the Belichick era,he certainly has been a warrior you can count on.

7) Asante Samuel - I consider Samuel to have been the best corner drafted by Belichick in his tenure,in another area where Belichick has struggled to find a corner that could provide game changing plays,Samuel had done that here,sone think he was overrated while I think he was a big loss when he left here.

Honorable Mention.....Light,Mankins and Gostkowski

Did I miss anyone?,Do you disagree with the players I chose or where they are ranked?...let me know and let's hear yours.

Asante Samuel should not be on that list... not even close. I also think that a lot of young guys on the current roster will end up on that list. If Mesko stays healthy, he will become one of the best punters of all time.

 

[Kay Mad]

Nice list but
IMHO- Light has to be #1 on the list.

He protected Brees ,Bledsoe, Brady.
Not bad for a 2nd round pick # 48 overall

 

[FCB02062]

Taylor Price, Chad Jackson, Shawn Crable, Darius Butler, Terrance Wheatley, Kareem Brown, and Tyrone McKenzie....those guys were all great value picks...

 

[mayoclinic]

0. Brady

I know you excluded Brady, but he deserves to be on here anyway, so I made him "0".

1. Gronk
2. Wilfork
3. Seymour

Those 3 are non brainers. The only question is which order they should be in, and it depends how you look at it. I think Gronk will go down as a HOFer and the best TE of all time. Obviously, if you are basing it on performance to date, he can't be ahead of the other 2 guys.

4. Mankins
5. Light
6. Mayo
7. Hernandez

Leaving off Matt Light was a huge oversight. Again, Hernandez has only 2 years under his belt, but he's proven so far to be an impact player to me.

Players who could make this list in the future:

- Nate Solder
- Sebastian Vollmer
- Devin McCourty

 

[BlueThunder]

Nice list but
IMHO- Light has to be #1 on the list.

He protected Brees ,Bledsoe, Brady.
Not bad for a 2nd round pick # 48 overall

Matt protected Brees??

Did I miss something?

NM...Didn't consider college....

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Why 7? Top nine on a list that doesn't include the GOAT draft pick makes more sense.

You have to put Light ahead of Koppen. A starting LT for more than a decade and coming out of the draft in the second... But Koppen has to be in there before guys like Mankins and even Asante because of where he was drafted and how long he started HERE. Asante doesn't crack my list because while he filled in well as a starter in 2004 he wasn't really a factor beyond that. He didn't emerge until late in 2006...and he didn't come thru in 2007...and then he was no more.

1) Richard Seymour - Was injured often during his latter years here and missed time, however when he was healthy and younger he was arguably the most dominant DE in the NFL for several years.

2) Vince Wilfork - Had BIG shoes to fill with the Pats coming off 2 great FA NT signings in Washington and then Traylor, but Vince brought stability to a position considered crucial to a 3-4 base D and has proven he is one of the best ever in history in the middle of the front line for the Pats - and more. Athletic and versitile big man...

3) Light - starting LT for more than a decade for a HOF QB who only needed a little time to tear an opposing D to shreds. Needed help at times but then who doesn't.

4) Dan Koppen - This is where the offense starts at every snap and Koppen has been the brains in front of Brady for a long time, rarely has there ever been a miscue that caused a turnover on Koppen's watch unless due to size he was being run over by blueprint teams.

5) Deion Branch - I don't think people realize how much Branch meant to the success of Brady and his passing game in the first half of the decade. Branch arguably could go down as Brady's all time favorite receiver since those 2 almost seemed made for each other....in a position where Belichick has failed to draft much that stuck, Branch is by FAR his best pick.

6) Gronkowski - Some may say he is not in the league long enough to put him at #6,while others may want to see him #1...but from what we have seen the past few years that unless injury becomes an issue, Rob has the potential to go down as the greatest TE of all time and push everyone down this list.

7a) Mankins - He has struggled most when it mattered most, but he is one of the best LG's in the league and he's been durable and already been that for several years.

7b) Jerod Mayo - ROY and core leader out of the gate. He's had his struggles, mostly injury related, but he has emerged as defacto leader and QB of this D. The kind of cerebral and all in player BB has to have directing his D on and off the field.

Knocking on the door - Hernandez and perhaps a handful more...

Honorable mention - Ty Warren, Asante Samuel

Not a bad haul for a guy who sucks at drafting...

 

[MoLewisrocks]

0. Brady

I know you excluded Brady, but he deserves to be on here anyway, so I made him "0".

1. Gronk
2. Wilfork
3. Seymour

Those 3 are non brainers. The only question is which order they should be in, and it depends how you look at it. I think Gronk will go down as a HOFer and the best TE of all time. Obviously, if you are basing it on performance to date, he can't be ahead of the other 2 guys.

4. Mankins
5. Light
6. Mayo
7. Hernandez

Leaving off Matt Light was a huge oversight. Again, Hernandez has only 2 years under his belt, but he's proven so far to be an impact player to me.

Players who could make this list in the future:

- Nate Solder
- Sebastian Vollmer
- Devin McCourty

I think you are falling victim to the what have you done for me lately mindset. You've only got 3 guys with rings on your list. What is it Bill says, potential is just talent that hasn't achieved yet... You can't be the best until you prove it.

 

[sly24]

Asante Samuel should not be on that list... not even close. I also think that a lot of young guys on the current roster will end up on that list. If Mesko stays healthy, he will become one of the best punters of all time.

That's pure misplaced hate. I can understand some people not putting him on the list but he at least deserves a mention. Incredible to think what would some people's attitude be towards him if he had made that INT in SB42. He played great while he was here. He's also 2nd only behind Rodney for most INTs in the postseason in nfl history.

 

[Ring 6]

I think with a list like this you have to pretend history ends today, and not project what some player may accomplish and then compare that to what another actually did. Those are 2 very different things. The young guys work their way on to the list over time, IMO, and leaving them off is in no way a slight.

I also believe where they were drafted is not a factor, because its about what you do on the field, not what you do vs what was expected.

1) Light. Not the best player BB ever drafted, but the guy outside of Brady who contributed the most, in terms of length of service, quality or play and importance of role.
2) Seymour. Instrumental in 3 SB titles. THE BEST all around DL in the NFL for much of his tenure here.
3) Wilfork. Close call with Seymour, but: Seymour 3 rings, Vince 1. Seymour (adjusting for same point in career) is a better player. Seymour as of today actually has played the same number of season with the Pats.
4) Branch. Had a big role in Bradys development and 2 rings. Maybe a bit too high for leaving after 4 years.
5) Ty Warren. Solid player for 7 years. Really the model of what BB wants in a 34 DE. His contributions to 2 rings are often overlooked.
6) Samuel. Contributed to 2 rings, including taking over for Law in 04. Gets knocked for chasing money and the last 1 minute of the season that wasn't, but contributed a lot.
7) Koppen. 2 rings. I think it is underrated how he stepped in as a rookie to an OL somewhat in disarray.120 starts is a lot of football. In his early years, when we won titles, he has some medicore talent surrounding him.
8) Mankins. Perhaps too far down, but no ring is a big consideration to me when the guys ahead of him have them. Excellent player for 7 years. It wouldn't be hard to convince me to move him up
9) Mayo Again, no ring, and only 4 years so far. But 4 tremendous seasons.
10) Eugene Wilson. This is not going to be a popular choice, BUT. He started on 2 champions, both seasons with secondary challenges. Stepped in for Milloy in 03 then was consistently good in the injury ravaged 04 secondary. Started all of 05, then was off and on injured for 2 years. Also a contributor on the 07 squad. Another players whose contributions are overlooked.

That is my heavily slanted to rings top 10.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

That's pure misplaced hate. I can understand some people not putting him on the list but he at least deserves a mention. Incredible to think what would some people's attitude be towards him if he had made that INT in SB42. He played great while he was here. He's also 2nd only behind Rodney for most INTs in the postseason in nfl history.

Asante Samuel was just traded for a 7th round draft pick from a team that had been looking to trade him for years. He can only play on one side of the field, can not play bump and run and is a very poor tackler. Sure he's a ball hawk, but the rest of his game is bad.

 

[randomk1]

Asante Samuel was just traded for a 7th round draft pick from a team that had been looking to trade him for years. He can only play on one side of the field, can not play bump and run and is a very poor tackler. Sure he's a ball hawk, but the rest of his game is bad.

Can only play one side of the field= Asomugha

Can not play bump and run = name a CB on the pats who can

Is a very poor tackler = how many good tacklers are there at CB ? That's like saying linemen are fat


What's your opinion of our current stud CBs i wonder?

 

[BradyFTW!]

1. Wilfork - based on production and draft positoin
2. Gronkowski
3. Seymour - at his best, better player than Wilfork, but was drafted much higher
4. Light
5. Warren
6. Samuel
7. Branch
8. Mayo
9. Wilson
10. Koppen

I can't put Mankins on the list after his performances in the last two Super Bowls, and also because, when you pick a guard in the first round, he's basically a bad pick if he doesn't become one of the very best in the league.

 

[mayoclinic]

I think you are falling victim to the what have you done for me lately mindset. You've only got 3 guys with rings on your list. What is it Bill says, potential is just talent that hasn't achieved yet... You can't be the best until you prove it.

I think with a list like this you have to pretend history ends today, and not project what some player may accomplish and then compare that to what another actually did. Those are 2 very different things. The young guys work their way on to the list over time, IMO, and leaving them off is in no way a slight.

I qualified my list as being subjective, and I didn't expect everyone to agree with it. It depends on what criteria you use, and I don't think that Andy's version is the only acceptable one. The title of the thread was the 7 best draft selections of the BB era other than Brady, not which players have contributed the most over the past 12 seasons. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have only played 2 seasons, but they have already become impact players, have produced on a historic level, and have revolutionized the way teams are designing their offenses. I personally give them the edge for that over a guy like Dan Koppen, who was a solid starter on 4 SB teams including 2 SB winners. But it's totally subjective.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

1. Wilfork - A true steal at 21. No explanation really needed.
2. Light - Perhaps the second most offensive position on a team with a HOF QB. 11 solid years and IIRC wasn't a first rounder.
3. Asante - Not a popular pick but was a legit elite CB for a couple years. Won 2 rings here and was the #1 CB for us on the 2nd one he got. Could have been a major major part of our 4th ring in 2006 if we held on in that AFCC after his pick 6. Maybe for me I'm putting the recent failure of drafting CB's into consideration (unless DMC and/or RID are a success), but to get this in the 4th round is a fantastic selection.
4. Branch - Another one that may not be so popular but he was our best WR during our best years. Still a legit option nowadays. Great value for a 2nd rounder. Again, recent failures at WR put the success of this pick into perspective.
5. Mankins - Like Branch was considered a massive reach, but obviously turned out to be a great pick, fantastic for where he was taken.
6. Seymour - This list isn't '7 best players drafted by BB' or else he would be 1 or 2. He's an amazing player but he was taken very high, credit to him for living up to the potential of that pick though.
7. Givens/Warren/Mayo - I believe Givens was a 7th rounder or something like that so I had to include him on this list. Warren was a solid contributor for many years, good value as well. Mayo was great but taken very high too.

Incomplete - Many players drafted since 2009, namely Gronk, Hernandez, Vollmer have potential to be very high on this list eventually.

EDIT: Going through the thread I could not believe I left Koppen off the list. I'd throw him into the tie for #7

 

[Ring 6]

I qualified my list as being subjective, and I didn't expect everyone to agree with it. It depends on what criteria you use, and I don't think that Andy's version is the only acceptable one.

I didn't say it was. I was listing my own criteria, not saying yours is inadequate.
Thats why I wrote "I think......"

The title of the thread was the 7 best draft selections of the BB era other than Brady, not which players have contributed the most over the past 12 seasons. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have only played 2 seasons, but they have already become impact players, have produced on a historic level, and have revolutionized the way teams are designing their offenses. I personally give them the edge for that over a guy like Dan Koppen, who was a solid starter on 4 SB teams including 2 SB winners. But it's totally subjective.

Agreed. There is no right or wrong, especially when we are defining the question differently.
Niether definition is better than the other, its a personal preference.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Asante Samuel was just traded for a 7th round draft pick from a team that had been looking to trade him for years. He can only play on one side of the field, can not play bump and run and is a very poor tackler. Sure he's a ball hawk, but the rest of his game is bad.

They didn't trade Asante because he isn't good. They traded him because they were paying him way too much. The reason why he was traded to Atlanta is because nobody wanted him for the money that was making- he agreed to leave some money on the table to go to the Falcons, and any trade was going to be contingent on his willingness to do that.

No matter how you look at it, he's a good CB when used in the proper role, and getting him in the 4th round was a great pick.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

They didn't trade Asante because he isn't good. They traded him because they were paying him way too much. The reason why he was traded to Atlanta is because nobody wanted him for the money that was making- he agreed to leave some money on the table to go to the Falcons, and any trade was going to be contingent on his willingness to do that.

No matter how you look at it, he's a good CB when used in the proper role, and getting him in the 4th round was a great pick.

Exactly, the fact that he was slapped with the franchise tag his final year in NE and given that massive contract by Philly in the first place shows his true value.