I don't know why it should count the same in the minds of people when the draft was being viewed in a different light back then. In 2007, for example, people were talking about the Patriots being a deep team, and Belichick hated the draft pool (go take a good long look at that draft, and you'll end up agreeing with Belichick). In 2009, the depth was gone and the draft pool was better.
Also, if you count the wheeling and dealing, you add Welker and Moss to the 2007 draft, and that's pretty much game over.