The Patriots and the 21st Overall Pick

The New England Patriots landed two NFL starts of the 2000s picking in the same first-round spot they have in 2022

The New England Patriots are no strangers to picking 21st in the first round of the NFL draft.

Barring a trade between now and the night of April 28, the Patriots will make the 21st pick in the draft for the seventh time since the start of the "common draft" (AFL and NFL combined), but more remarkably the fifth time since 2000.

That's the highest total in the NFL, as the Patriots are set to break their tie with the Cincinnati Bengals for most 21st overall selections since the start of the new millennium.

More importantly, it's what the Patriots have done with those picks, and it's with the 21st pick that they landed two of the best NFL defensive players of the 2000s at that spot: Vince Wilfork and Chandler Jones.

How the Patriots Landed Their Star 21st Overall Selections

Interestingly, both players were acquired after the Patriots traded into that spot.

They got the 21st pick in 2004 as the result of a 2003 draft trade where the Patriots sent a first-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a third-round pick in 2003 and that first-round pick in 2004.

The Patriots selected Jones with a pick they obtained from the Cincinnati Bengals when they traded up from 27th in the first round at the cost of a third-round pick.

Between them, Jones and Wilfork went on to combine for 10 Pro Bowl invitations (so far); Wilford earned all five of his with the Patriots, while Jones earned one with the Patriots and three with the Arizona Cardinals since leaving New England as a free agent.

The last 10 21st Overall Picks Around the NFL

Around the NFL, the 21st overall selection hasn't delivered a player like Wilfork or Jones in the decade since Jones was selected.

The past 10 21st overall picks have combined for two Pro Bowl invitations so far, one each for 2013 selection Tyler Eifert (tight end selected by Cincinnati) and 2014 selection Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (safety selected by Green Bay).

None of the 21st overall selections since 2015 has made the Pro Bowl so far.

2015 — T Cedric Ogbuehi, drafted by the Bengals

2016 — WR Will Fuller V, Texans

2017 — LB Jarrad Davis, Lions

2018 — C Billy Price, Bengals

2019 — S Darnell Savage, Packers

2020 — WR Jalen Reagor, Eagles

2021 — DE Kwity Paye, Colts