The NFL draft is nearly upon us, and at times it can be difficult to fully invest oneself in the results of the draft with the almost random nature of NFL prospects. For this reason, we’re going to be taking a look at the best players selected by round since the 2008 NFL draft. While this seems to be an arbitrary cut off point, it’s the latest round that still contained Patriot players that have had a recent impact on team success. With that being said, let’s dig into:

Round 1

Devin McCourty - Cornerback - Rutgers

2010 NFL Draft - Round 1 - Pick 27

The Patriots have had success on many occasions in the first round during this time frame, but there is no larger success story than Devin McCourty. Originally drafted as a cornerback, McCourty won AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors with seven interceptions on the season. However, after a tumultuous Sophomore campaign, he was moved to the safety position and has since become one of the best in the league. 

McCourty, according to his NFL.com draft profile, was expected to mostly make an impact on special teams and the nickel corner position, but quickly emerged as one of the more talented players on the Patriots defense. There are few Patriots that have had more of an impact on the defensive side of the ball in recent years than McCourty as the Pats have largely shut down deep ball attacks due to his ability to close ground quickly. 

Not to be overshadowed by Devin’s play on the field, he has emerged as a true leader and a veteran presence on a team with high turnover. Named a captain rather quickly into his career, McCourty embodies the Patriots organization in many ways and has become a perennial Patriot. The argument can be made for other big names drafted in the first round such as Dont’a Hightower and Nate Solder, but it is McCourty’s durability (at most, McCourty has missed two games in a season since entering the league) that simply puts him a notch above every other recent first round pick.

Honorable Mentions: Dont’a Hightower, Nate Solder, Jerod Mayo

Round 2 

Rob Gronkowski - Tight End - Arizona

2010 NFL Draft - Round 2 - Pick 42

Well, what exactly did you expect? There’s not much I can say about Gronkowski that hasn’t been said a million times before. He’s, when healthy, the most dominant player at his position in NFL history. He nearly cannot be covered and will make a big play at some point during the game. As the saying goes, you cannot hope to stop him, you can merely contain him.

His NFL.com draft profile is rather spot on in most respects. He exited college as a very productive player that’s size proved incredibly difficult to handle, but his durability was called into question as he missed his entire season year with back surgery. This durability is largely a reason why he fell into the second round to begin with, but it’s still a bit curious how someone with the measurables like Gronk was put in that position.

Despite the tension between him and Belichick this offseason, Gronk has also emerged as a team captain for the Patriots, and it’s hard to argue that anyone else drafted in this time frame has made more of an impact for the Pats than he has. He’s a total freak of nature, and absolutely the best Patriots second round player in the history of the franchise.

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Chung, Jamie Collins, Jimmy Garoppolo

Round 3

Logan Ryan - Cornerback - Rutgers

2013 NFL Draft - Round 3 - Pick 83

The fact that Logan Ryan is the selection here should be rather telling of the Patriots ability to draft in the third round. Logan Ryan can best be described as a “solid” player during his time in New England. He played well enough to elevate himself to the #2 corner position behind Malcolm Butler and was instrumental in the Patriots 2016 title run. 

His physical ability attracted the Patriots to Ryan as he was a sure-handed tackler in college. Honestly, it may be the college he attended that Belichick found the most intriguing as Bill’s obsession with the University of Rutgers was at a full fever pitch during this time frame. Three of the Patriots secondary members were from Rutgers (McCourty, Harmon, and Ryan) during Ryan’s tenure with the Pats, and Harmon was selected mere picks after Ryan was. Regardless, Logan Ryan was considered a solid selection in terms of value in the round the Pats selected him.

While the argument could be had for Duron Harmon taking this spot, Harmon being a backup safety led to Ryan having a more down-to-down impact on the team during his stint. Harmon is assuredly the more flashy playmaker (earning himself the nickname “The Closer” as a result of his game clinching interceptions), but at the end of the day Ryan had more to do with the weekly success of the organization.

Honorable Mentions: Duron Harmon, Joe Thuney, Stevan Ridley

Round 4

James White - Running Back - Wisconsin

2014 NFL Draft - Round 4 - Pick 130

The hero of Super Bowl 51 is the best Patriot drafted in the fourth round in the past decade. James White, as described by Martellus Bennett in his fantastic illustration, is the ultimate Swiss-Army knife of the Patriots roster. Clutch, durable, and multi-talented, White is the quintessential New England Patriot.

White was considered a reach by many scouts. He was given a 7th round, potentially undrafted grade by NFL.com. His time at Wisconsin was behind one of the better offensive lines in the NCAA, and he split carries with a few other running backs at the university which did not give him a tremendous amount of time to show off what he was capable of. This coupled with a smaller frame meant White was a bit of a question mark coming out of college.

One could compare James to an ex-Patriots legend, Kevin Faulk. Both were capable of running the ball, taking care to not turn it over, being outstanding pass catchers, and fighting tooth and nail for every yard. While there a couple huge success stories in the last ten years for the Pats drafting in the fourth round, it’s tough to say anyone has had more of an impact than the hero of the Super Bowl himself, James White.

Honorable Mentions: Trey Flowers, Shaq Mason.

Round 5

Matthew Slater - Wide Receiver/Special Teams Gunner - UCLA

2008 NFL Draft - Round 5 - Pick 153

With the third longest active tenure as a New England Patriot, Matthew Slater has been a stalwart example of what it means to play for the top organization in the National Football League. He has long embodied the Patriot Way, and his attitude while playing for the team has him as one of the few New England players that seem to be “lifers” in that it’s nearly impossible to envision Slater in another uniform. His leadership is one of his biggest assets, but his play on special teams has elected him to seven pro bowls in nine years.

Slater was a known quantity coming out of UCLA. Scouts agreed that his impact on offense was likely to be non-existent with some potential to play as a slot receiver, but if Slater were to be drafted it would be for his outstanding special teams play. Belichick, being one of the coaches most outspoken on importance of special teams, nabbed Slater in the fifth round and the rest has been history.

It’s difficult to quantify in statistics why Slater is such an important member of the Pats, but he has orchestrated the kickoff and punt units as a captain for many years in a New England uniform and has consistently made an impact on an important phase of the game. His locker room presence also cannot be left out, as he’s one of the most respected players in New England by players and coaching staff alike.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Cannon

Round 6

Nate Ebner - Safety/Special Teams - Ohio State

2012 NFL Draft - Round 6 - Pick 197

Yeah, it’s been a slow sixth round for the past ten years. Ebner has been a great special teams player, and a long time Patriot, but this shows the Pats lack of success in the late round more than anything. If this list were extending to Belichick’s entire coaching career with the Patriots, there may be another 6th round pick (and just two selections later than Ebner) that could be considered here, but as it stands Ebner is the best of the bunch.

Largely known as a rugby player, Ebner entered the NFL draft with no fanfare, and a large contingent of people hadn’t really ever heard of him. So much so that Ebner actually does not possess an NFL.com draft profile. It’s likely that Nate would have gone undrafted and potentially never made in the NFL without Belichick taking a chance on the Ohio State project late in the 2012 draft,but it has panned out quite well for the special teams unit of the Patriots.

His athleticism has allowed the Patriots to create some trickery on punt situations (recently shown during the fake punt against the Dolphins this prior season), but Ebner has not been able to play any meaningful snaps at the safety position. He’s not terrible bothered by it, however, as Nate has made it clear multiple times that he thrives on special teams play and self-professes that he might have “a couple screws loose.” He’s no Tom Brady, but he’s a decent draft success in a round in which the Patriots haven’t had many in the past decade.

Honorable Mention: Elandon Roberts

Round 7

Julian Edelman - Quarterback/Wide Receiver - Kent State

2009 NFL Draft - Round 7 - Pick 23

As if there was any doubt. There are few more inspiring draft stories than that of Julian Edelman. He emerged as the next great slot receiver in a lineage that includes the greatest slot receiver of all time, Wes Welker. While Welker was undrafted, Edelman was a quarterback in college and was largely expected to be a playmaker on special teams in the NFL. His work ethic and fierce determination have formed him into what he is today, one of the top wide receivers in the league.

Despite being a successful college quarterback, Edelman was largely asked to try out at wide receiver in the run-up to the 2009 NFL draft. While his experience was lacking at the position, good measurables and shows of athleticism put him on a couple teams radars. Despite this, Edelman nearly went undrafted before the Patriots snagged him late in the seventh round. 

In terms of pure value, it’s tough to think of a Patriot player not named Tom Brady drafted by the Patriots in the 6th-7th rounds under Belichick that provides a higher return-on-investment. Julian is an absolute standout player who has made his presence known as a hero on the grandest of stages twice in his career, propelling the Patriots to two Super Bowl victories (and arguably the true MVP of Super Bowl 49). If Patriots fans are still feeling down about the conclusion of the previous season, it doesn’t take more than the prospect of Edelman returning to drive hype for the upcoming 2018 campaign.

Honorable Mention: Alfonzo Dennard

And that’s that, hopefully this has proven illuminating at how talent can come and impact a team from any round. The Patriots have built the success that they have enjoyed in large part to draft success stories that have come manifest in a number of players we couldn’t imagine the team without today. Any given player taken by the Pats can turn out to be the next Devin McCourty or Julian Edelman, and that’s truly what makes the draft so exciting. With a large catalog of high picks in the draft next week, the Patriots will be looking to bring in new faces, new fan favorites, and, hopefully, new Super Bowl heroes.

No Vollmer.

No Long.

No Logan.

No Blount.

No Floyd.

No Ninko.

And now Jules is out for the year.

Titans CB Logan Ryan used part of his contract money to pay off his brother’s student loan debt.