The whole league passed on every player taken in the 2nd round onwards. What's the point of holding a draft that continues past the 1st round if that's your rationale?
Pickens was a STUD there for the taking and Twiggy Branch was another MISTAKE pick by BB. Making the wrong decision at the same position WR, over and over again, year after year, is NOT justified by your stated logic which isn't even logical.
Now is it possible that Pickens somehow runs into legal trouble like Jack Jones that potentially derails what is looking like a very good career?
Yes it could happen. I mean it happened to our own player! But if BB is willing to take character risks on guys like Jack Jones how does that JUSTIFY passing on Pickens? It doesn't - it points to a double standard. You can take a risk in the draft as long as it doesn't EXPOSE the mistake made in the drafting process which brings us back to Branch - will he amount to anything more than a hill of beans? Very unlikely given the pattern of early-injured WRs almost never panning out with the Patriots.