How does Belichick and his staff rate at drafting wide receivers?

What would you give them for a grade over the past 15 years?

You have Branch, Givens, and Edelman on one side and about a dozen nobodies on the other.

It's pretty poor, especially considering all the quality receivers that have come out of the last few drafts even in later rounds..

They've had trouble with all the first round WRs BB drafted.

Do you include Moss and Welker who were acquired for draft picks? (2nd/7th and 4th rounders.)

If F- were an actual grade, I'd say F-. Except for Deion Branch and David Givens, nothing but busts drafted at that position. And Branch and Givens were drafted in 2002 (13 years ago). Several teams have drafted Hall of Fame type receivers in the last 15 years. BB has drafted Arena League types. Now as far as TEs, he's done pretty damned good. Graham, Watson, Gronk and Hernandez were great picks.

Bobsyouruncle said:

They've had trouble with all the first round WRs BB drafted.

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Yup. None of them have played a snap.

scott99 said:

If F- were an actual grade, I'd say F-. Except for Deion Branch and David Givens, nothing but busts drafted at that position. And Branch and Givens were drafted in 2002 (13 years ago). Several teams have drafted Hall of Fame type receivers in the last 15 years. BB has drafted Arena League types. Now as far as TEs, he's done pretty damned good. Graham, Watson, Gronk and Hernandez were great picks.

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Julian Edelman?

Patsfanin Philly said:

Do you include Moss and Welker who were acquired for draft picks? (2nd/7th and 4th rounders.)

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No.

Actually they have had success drafting WR in the seventh round that the second

manxman2601 said:

Julian Edelman?

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I'm old, gimme a break, I forget things. Jules was a great pick. BB loves those kinda players, how many Edelman types has he drafted or signed as UDFAs ? Sure none of them have worked out, but worth the risk.

BB should not have final say in drafting WR's round 1-4. I'd rather Randy Moss take over those duties. Oh heck...Amanda Belichick will do.

Rounds 6-7 of the draft are a crapshoot and I don't think you can give Belichick a whole lot of credit for the Edelman and Givens picks

Way too many valuable picks (rounds 2-4) have been wasted on WRs

Not very good. But they've had good success with veterans. They are probably the best in the league at developing o line or near the top.

Bobsyouruncle said:

They've had trouble with all the first round WRs BB drafted.

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Every single one. Yet miraculously, they've never had a first round bust.

We're pretty awful at drafting WRs.
Branch and Edelman are the only good home grown ones that I can remember drafted in the BB era.
Oh yeah we had Givens briefly, but he was only good for a short period of time.

We've had more luck getting guys from other teams via trade or free agency -- Wes Welker, Randy Moss, David Patten, Lafell.

...and conveniently ignored in this conversation is the FACT that the Pats have had one of the better and most productive passing attacks in the last 10 years. Its amazing. How do we do it without EVER having a true #1 WR? (except for the 3 Randy Moss years).

When are we going to learn the lesson that has played out right before our eyes for us the last 15 years. WR is perhaps the most over rated impact position in the entire league. It is also the position where the talent pool is the deepest.

So while we all complain when BB's draft picks in the 2-5 rounds mostly fail, or at best are mediocre, he somehow managed to come up with some bodies that allow the Pats to have one of the top 4 offenses in the league on a VERY consistent basis. Hello, HELLO! isn't that telling you something about the impact of WR's as it pertains to winning or losing. So while other teams are paying $10-12MM on WR's cap space, we routinely let go good guys who are looking for $8MM.

When the pats let go Welker because he wouldn't take $6MM/.yr at the end of his career, they got better production from Edelman who they paid about a million that year. THAT's how you manage a cap. You pay the guys that are really HARD to replace, and NOT the easiest.

TBR said:

Rounds 6-7 of the draft are a crapshoot and I don't think you can give Belichick a whole lot of credit for the Edelman and Givens picks

Way too many valuable picks (rounds 2-4) have been wasted on WRs

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Why does he always shoot craps better than other teams? Loaded dice?

We have a much better track record at identifying veterans to contribute. Players who have matured and then deemed capable to picking up the system.

Identifying players who haven't entered the NFL yet seem to have a lot of trouble.

Vets - B+/A
Draft - C- The guys we've hit on have been very good for us, but we've missed on too many

TBR said:

Rounds 6-7 of the draft are a crapshoot and I don't think you can give Belichick a whole lot of credit for the Edelman and Givens picks

Way too many valuable picks (rounds 2-4) have been wasted on WRs

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Yes if you rule out the parts in which he does well and only count the parts in which he does badly, he does look pretty bad.

I agree with the above that Edelman & Givens must be included; so that leaves us Edelman, Givens, Branch…
…and Absolutely Nobody Else.

That is, in the words of Jimmy Carter, a disgrace to the human race. Completely inexcusable, and
one of the reasons it took a decade to give TFB another ring.