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New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick will be looking forward to the 2022 NFL Draft beginning this week, hoping they can improve the roster that led them to a playoff berth in Mac Jones’ rookie campaign.
However, they were trounced by division rival Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. They will require plenty of reinforcements, especially after losing All-Pro cornerback J.C. Jackson to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.
Belichick and owner Robert Kraft have had mixed success in the early rounds of the draft but over the years have developed a knack for drafting players in the later rounds only for them to be solid, if not better, starters in the NFL. Here are three of the best New England Patriots draft steals in franchise history.
New England Patriots' NFL Draft Steals
#3 - Michael Onwenu, T, Round-6 Pick 182, 2020
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As recently as 2020, the New England Patriots found a diamond in the rough when they selected offensive lineman Michael Onwenu out of Michigan in round six. Onwenu has been a versatile critical piece for Bill Belichick's offensive line, with the 24-year-old having lined up at his traditional right tackle position, both guard spots, and even as a jumbo tight end.
Once Onwenu was finally moved to his favored position, he excelled, posting the highest PFF ranking for a rookie offensive tackle since 2010, with a 84.3 rating, as well as being named to the PWFA All-Rookie team in 2020. At just 24-years-old, the Patriots may well have their franchise right tackle sorted for the next decade, and they round him round six!
#2 - Ben Coates, TE, Round-5 Pick 124, 1991
Tight end Ben Coates was drafted in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft, and he would go on to be one of the most dominating players at his position throughout his time in the league. Coates spent nine years with the Patriots, where he appeared at five Pro Bowls and made First-team All-Pro twice. Throughout his time in the league, Coates caught 499 passes for 50 touchdowns and 5,555 yards as a member of the Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.
He won a Super Bowl title while with the Ravens and was named into the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team, as well as being inducted into New England’s Hall of Fame, and will go down as a legend for the team.
#1 - Tom Brady, QB, Round-6 Pick 1999, 2000
No surprise for guessing this one. Tom Brady will go down as the best draft pick and steal of all time and the best player to ever play in the NFL. Brady infamously fell to round six of the 2000 draft and made sure every team that passed on him would regret it.
Brady is the most successful player in the league's history, having won seven Super Bowl titles with New England and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He, along with Belichick, helped establish a dynasty that lasted almost 20 years in New England, as the duo won six Super Bowl titles together, which is every Super Bowl the team has won.
Brady has a long list of accolades to his name, including 15x Pro Bowls, NFL 2000s and 2010s All-Decade Teams, three MVP awards, three First-team All-Pros, and was named in the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time team alongside some of the greatest players in league history.
Brady left New England after the 2019 season after 20 hugely successful seasons with the team, moving to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He announced his retirement following the 2021 season but, in a shocking turn of events, changed his mind and decided to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 season.
He is undoubtedly the best pick the Patriots have ever made and the best pick they will ever make.
