Ranking Bill Belichick's best NFL Draft picks
Bill Belichick’s legacy as the head coach of the New England Patriots will be the number of Super Bowl championships won during his tenure.
However, en route to those titles, there have been some sensational players that the former New York Giants assistant plucked out of the NFL Draft, and in some cases relative obscurity, before turning them into stars in the NFL.
It would be impossible to list every NFL Draft success story from Belichick’s 22-year spell with the Pats; however, we can rank some of his very best draft selections.
Who are Bill Belichick’s best NFL Draft picks?
8. Asante Samuel - 2003 (Round 4 Pick 120)
Bill Belichick has an unbelievable ability to source value in the later rounds of the draft. This is why he often trades down in the first-round.
Often amassing more picks in the later rounds, Belichick can utilize his board to bring players in who he feels will be a strong fit in New England.
Asante Samuel is one such example, drafted in the fourth-round of the 2003 NFL Draft after a career with the UCF Knights at the collegiate level.
Samuel became one of the best defensive backs of the modern era, recording a grand total of 22 interceptions in the five years he spent with the Pats.
In the 2006 season, he led the league with 10 interceptions and 24 passes defended, starring as the best defensive back in football.
He was also part of two Super Bowl winning teams, highlighting the value and talent to be had beyond the opening night of the draft.
7. Jamie Collins – 2013 (Round 2 Pick 52)
Another player who wasn’t selected in the first-round of the draft was Jamie Collins, a linebacker out of Southern Mississippi.
He would play for the Patriots for six seasons in total over the course of three stints, with coaches turning him into one of the standouts in his position.
In 2014, 2016 and 2019, Collins would finish each campaign with multiple sacks and interceptions, which is a rarity at the position. All three of these years were spent in New England.
Collins has made a grand total of 253 career tackles, was voted into the Pro Bowl once and won a single Super Bowl title which came with the Pats in 2014.