NFL Draft: Patriots Struggle to Draft Wide Receivers

We’ve come to learn even this Superman of head coaches has a kryptonite. In his pursuit of using the NFL Draft to fill his roster with productive long-lasting receivers, Bill Belichick’s inefficacy is as legendary as his success as a head coach.

Bo Marchionte | Apr 12, 2022

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New England Patriots

Bill Belichick is the greatest of all time.

His tenure as head coach in New England and ability to keep the Patriots playing at such an elite level in the salary-cap era is remarkable. It's a task that's never been done and is unlikely to ever be duplicated.

However, after Belichick took over in 2000, it was not until his third draft with the Patriots the team elected to use a selection on a wideout.

We’ve come to learn even this Superman of head coaches has a kryptonite.

In his pursuit of using the NFL Draft to fill his roster with productive long-lasting receivers, Belichick’s inefficacy is as legendary as his success as a head coach.

Deion Branch was the first receiver drafted under Belichick’s regime in the second round of the 2002 draft. David Givens was drafted four rounds later that same year, leaving New England looking very successful in evaluating the position in their first go at it.

What transpired after that is one of the most historically disastrous efforts in draft evaluation history. It is a collection on unprecedented levels in which their results yielded close to nothing.

Wes Welker and Randy Moss were brought into the organization after beginning their careers elsewhere. These acquisitions via trade masked the ugliness of draft results at the position.

Since 2000, the Patriots have drafted 17 receivers. Only Branch and Julian Edelman highlight a group that otherwise is filled with a complete fiasco of failures.

2002 | 2nd Round | Deion Branch

2002 | 6th Round | David Givens

2003 | 2nd Round | Bethel Johnson

2004 | 5th Round | P.K. Sam

2006 | 2nd Round | Chad Jackson

2008 | 5th Round | Matt Slater

2009 | 3rd Round | Brandon Tate

2009 | 7th Round | Julian Edelman

2010 | 3rd Round | Taylor Price

2012 | 7th Round | Jeremy Ebert

2013 | 2nd Round | Aaron Dobson

2014 | 7th Round | Jeremy Gallon

2016 | 4th Round | Malcolm Mitchell

2016 | 7th Round | Devin Lucien

2018 | 6th Round | Braxton Berrios

2019 | 1st Round | N’Keal Harry

2021 | 7th Round | Tre Nixon

Two names loom large when eyeing this list: Branch and Edelman.

They conjure up the best New England has produced. Their Super Bowl legacies of five combined Super Bowl rings and two individual Super Bowl MVP trophies are undeniable and worthy.

Their individual contributions to the Patriots will endure for generations.

Statistically speaking, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has more career receptions (1,228) than the pair put combined (1,138). Edelman ranks 81st overall in all-time catches with Branch currently tied at 148 overall. If you took Edelman’s receiving yards (6,822) and Branch’s (6,644), the total is 13,466 which would rank them 16th overall in the National Football League all time. Fifteen other players individually have more yards.

That is the absolute best New England has been able to produce via the draft.

The fifteen others drafted by the Patriots have not followed the Patriots Way to success. These players are staggeringly bad when looking back at the chronological order of receivers drafted under Belichick’s watch.

Clumping together every receiver absent of Branch and Edelman, the collective results are not encouraging.

Remember Moss and Welker’s names mentioned earlier.

That is the blueprint being used once again after continuous misfires in the draft have left New England doing what they do best: Acquiring outside help to fix the inadequate attempts made during the draft with this unit.

The most notable players currently on the Patriots depth chart where not drafted by New England. DeVante Parker was recently acquired by trade. Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor both signed with the team last year via free agency. Jakobi Meyers signed with the Patriots after being undrafted in 2019 and he was their best receiver last season.

Meyers brings up one silver lining in this debacle.

The Patriots' track record proves to be much more productive when drafting receivers in rounds six or seven or not at all. A sixth- or seventh-round selection is a camp body under most circumstances.

Yes, the team hopes they materialize and make the practice squad at best. Anything on par with that or better is a tremendous bonus.

The careers of Branch, Edelman and the undrafted Meyers collectively blow away the numerous draft capital wasted on players taken in the first three rounds. Berrios, a sixth-round pick, has carved out a career with the New York Jets after being released by the Patriots.

Branch is the only player taken in the top three rounds that validates his draft selection.

The others are so bad it does make you shake your head in amazement.

Bethel (second round) started nine games in New England. Jackson (second round) caught 14 passes as a Patriot. Tate (third round) scored three touchdowns. Price (third round) never caught a touchdown pass in the NFL. Dobson (second round) was a superstar compared to those duds and he caught 53 passes overall in his New England career. The icing on the cake is Harry. he has four touchdown passes since being selected 32nd overall in the 2019 draft. His days might be nearing an end in New England.

With the draft only 16 days away, the Patriots may be looking to take a receiver early.

Do not pick up the phone.

Put in on: "Do not Disturb."

History has shown it’s not a good career decision.