Ranking Bill Belichick's best NFL Draft picks 

6. Devin McCourty – 2010 (Round 1 Pick 27)

Some players like McCourty just earn Belichick's respect

McCourty is an example of a player who slips in the first-round, and Belichick senses the opportunity to take a player that should probably have already been off the board.

Having been a standout freshman at Rutgers, McCourty was ranked as the fourth-best cornerback prospect heading into the NFL Draft.

McCourty has been with the Patriots ever since, becoming a defensive stalwart for the franchise and winning three Super Bowl championships.

You can tell a player has the respect and admiration of Belichick due to the fact that they are offered a contract extension at their positional worth.

That has been the case with McCourty, who has been able to switch to free safety at times, with the Pats offering him multiple contract extensions rather than trying to replace him in the draft.

Throughout McCourty’s 12-season long career in New England, he has never played fewer than 14 games in a single season. He hasn’t missed a single start since 2015, proving to be one of the most reliable players Bill has ever drafted.

5. Julian Edelman – 2009 (Round 7 Pick 232)

0nly Belichick would take a QB in round 7 and turn him into a receiving star

Edelman was a shock pick by Belichick in 2009 because there wasn't a specific plan for him immediately.

Belichick saw something in the seventh-round selection and wanted him in the building to grab a closer look, rather than wait for the lottery of free-agency.

This proved to be a masterstroke, as Edelman would become one of the greatest receivers to ever represent the franchise, after a position change once the Patriots coaching staff saw his talent as a special teams threat.

He was a college quarterback, playing at Kent State, yet by 2013, he was a guaranteed starter in New England’s offense.

Edelman won three Super Bowl championships, becoming one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets, even winning the MVP award in Super Bowl LIII.

Despite never making a Pro Bowl, mainly due to perfectly sacrificing his own numbers for the good of the team, Edelman received over 1,000 yards in three of his seasons with the Pats before retiring in 2020.

4. Vince Wilfork – 2004 (Round 1 Pick 21)

Belichick has become a master at picking late in the 1st round

Selected late in the first-round of the 2004 NFL Draft, Vince Wilfork was one of Belichick’s better defensive picks.

Having to fill a rare immediate hole in the Patriots’ roster following the departure of Ted Washington, Wilfork proved that, once again, the coach was right.

Fans didn’t necessarily agree with the decision to hasten Washington’s departure; however, a decade of Wilfork later earned Bill even more trust from the fans.

Wilfork’s size made him a dominant tackler, especially against the run, and he was named to the Pro Bowl on five occasions.

He was part of two Super Bowl winning efforts, and Belichick was rewarded for taking a chance on a player that was written off as being too inconsistent with on-field effort.