The New England Patriots have made some unorthodox draft picks over the years, but they also selected several stars during Bill Belichick’s decorated tenure.
Per CLNS Media’s Mike Kadlick the head coach and general manager seemed to take a shot at critics Tuesday. He smiled when calling the 2010 NFL Draft “one of our ‘C’ drafts.”
They secured two franchise cornerstones that year, taking cornerback Devin McCourty with the 27th pick and Rob Gronkowski in the second round.
Bill Belichick, grinning ear to ear, talking about the #Patriots 2010 draft class:
“That was one of our ‘C’ [graded] drafts. McCourty, Gronkowski… anyway.”
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) March 21, 2023
McCourty retired earlier this month following his 13th season with the Patriots. Including the playoffs, the two-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion tallied 37 interceptions in 229 games.
Having scored 92 touchdowns in 11 seasons (nine with New England) and 15 more in the playoffs, Gronkowski will go down as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.
While the Patriots have made several great picks dating back to finding Tom Brady during the sixth round in 2000, critics are wondering if Belichick is losing his touch.
The jury is out on many young players, including Mac Jones, but the Patriots haven’t hit many home runs in recent years. New England must find the next generation of homegrown stars to bring the organization back to prominent contention.