These are great links, and highlight once and for all that BB's draft strategy is superior. Amassing picks is an important drafting tool because it's a crapshoot, even at the top of the draft there are tons of busts no matter which way you measure them.
I wanted to hit on the article I left in your quote, because this idea that BB drafts poorly even if he has a solid draft strategy is complete folly. I took the five-year sample from 2008-2012, a solid chunk of time that eliminates the most recent drafts where a 'bust' or 'hit' label may not be fully realized.
The article measures two ways to measure 'bust' vs. 'hit':
1) a player must accumulate 5 or more CarAV, as measured by PFR, to be a 'hit'
2) a player must be a starter for a full season, or have 40+ games played in the NFL to be labeled a 'hit'
Going by those metrics, and tabulating them for the years 2008-2012, the Patriots have the following 'hit' percentages by draft round:
First method:
1st - 100% (5 picks, all hits)
2nd - 81.82% (11 picks, 9 hits)
3rd - 25% (8 picks, 2 hits)
4th - 50% (4 picks, 2 hits)
5th - 60% (5 picks, 3 hits)
6th - 33% (6 picks, 2 hits)
7th - 25% (8 picks, 2 hits)
Second method:
1st - 100% (5 picks, all hits)
2nd - 81.82% (11 picks, 9 hits)
3rd - 25% (8 picks, 2 hits)
4th - 75% (4 picks, 3 hits)
5th - 80% (5 picks, 4 hits)
6th - 33% (6 picks, 2 hits)
7th - 25% (8 picks, 2 hits)
(One note: I labeled Slater and Ebner as 'hits' despite not accumulating starts or CarAV, which I don't think people will object to given their contributions on special teams)
Those numbers aren't just good, they're remarkable--especially considering the Pats average draft position. Looking at the bust rates in the graphs, the average 2nd rounder busts 25% using the first method, 40% using the second. The average 4th rounder busts 50% using the first method, 70% using the second, etc. Belichick has hit, over the past five years, at a much higher rate than the measured sample in every single round of the draft, save the 3rd round. Keeping in mind that BB has traded around to accumulate more picks, he has hit on a remarkable rate of picks using the same metrics used for the study.
And bringing it all together, BB has hit on either 25 (first method) or 27 (second method) of his 47 picks, meaning
his average pick, regardless of round, 'hits' at a rate similar to a 3rd rounder (first method) or 2nd rounder (second method). That's incredible!