During the 2000 NFL Draft, the Patriots got the draft steal of
thecentury selecting future hall of fame quarterback Tom Brady late in
the
sixth round (199th pick overall). Brady proved to be a true “diamond in
the rough.”
With the 2011 NFL Draft quickly approaching, here are the top 10
Patriots draft gems not named Tom Brady:
10 – David Givens, WR,
7th round (253rd overall), 2002 NFL Draft
Givens had 158 receptions for 2,214 yards and 12 touchdowns in four
seasons and 53 regular season games with the Patriots. He played in
eight playoff games and scored at least one touchdown in seven straight
playoff games, including both Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX.
9 – Asante
Samuel, CB, 4th
round (120th overall), 2003 NFL Draft
Samuel has 22 interceptions for 313 yards during five seasons with the
Patriots. He started 55 of 75 games during that time with three
interception returns for touchdowns. He is ranked 10th on the Patriots
all time interceptions list. In 14 playoff games in New England he also
had three interception returns for touchdowns. He helped the Patriots
win two Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004 and was selected to the 2007 Pro
Bowl.
8 – Larry Eisenhauer, DE,
6th round, 1961 AFL Draft
Eisenhauer played for the Boston Patriots from 1961-1969. He was
selected to the AFL All Star team in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1966, and is
a member of the Patriots All-1960s (AFL) Team and the Patriots 35th
Anniversary team in 1994. He played in 115 regular season games and
ranks eighth all-time in team history with 45.5 career sacks. He led
the team in sacks four straight seasons (1962-65).
7 – Steve Grogan, QB, 5th
round (116 overall), 1975 NFL Draft
Grogan played in 149 games over his 16-year career from 1975-1990. A
strong rusher, Grogan rushed for an NFL record 12 touchdowns for a
quarterback in 1976 and for 35 touchdowns during his career. Grogan led
the 1976 team to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade,
a team many considered one of the best in team history. He also helped
lead the Patriots to their first AFC Championship in 1985 and to an
appearance in Super Bowl XX. Grogan ranks among the leaders in team
history in nearly every passing category. Grogan was inducted into the
Patriots Hall of Fame in 1995.
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| Grogan with the famous neck brace. (Ken
Levine/Getty Images).
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6 – Fred Marion, S, 5th
round (112th overall), 1982 NFL Draft
Marion played 144 games in his career at safety, all in a Patriots
uniform. Marion led the Patriots in interceptions four times in his
career with seven picks in ‘85, four in ’87, four in ’88, and four in
’90. He was named AP All-Pro honorable mention in 1988. He
was also selected to the Patriots 35th Anniversary team in 1994, the
Patriots Team of the Century in 2000, and the Patriots 50th Anniversary
team in 2009. As a Pro Bowl selection in 1985, Marion helped lead the
Patriots to their first Super Bowl berth when he intercepted seven
passes for 189 yards to lead the team. He’s tied for second (Roland
James and Ron Hall) on the all-time Patriots interception list with 29
picks.
5 – Troy
Brown, WR, 8th
round (198th overall), 1993 NFL Draft
Brown became the Patriots all-time reception leader with 557 catches
for 6,366 yards and 31 touchdowns in 15 seasons with the Patriots. He
played in 192 regular season games and 20 playoff games, including four
Super Bowls and three Super Bowl Championship teams. He was selected to
the Pro Bowl as a wide receiver in 2001. He is the Patriots all-time
punt returner, including two punt returns for touchdowns. He also
played defensive back and has three interceptions for 22 yards.
4 – Curtis Martin, RB,
3rd round (74th pick overall), 1995 NFL Draft
Martin is fourth on the all-time Patriots rushing list with 3,799 yards
in just three seasons in New England. He’s ranked 16th on the club’s
all-time scoring list (226 total points); he’s sixth in rushing
attempts (958); fifth with 32 rushing touchdowns; and he was tied for
third with a 4.0 average yards per rush. He won the Offensive Rookie of
the Year Award after rushing for a franchise record 1,487 yards and
averaging 4.0 yards per carry with 14 touchdowns in 1995. He was
selected to two Pro Bowls and rushed for three 1,000 yard seasons. He
also rushed for a franchise record 166 yards and 3 touchdowns in his
first career playoff game against the Steelers. The Patriots went on to
Super Bowl XXXI, where Martin rushed for 42 yards, caught 3 passes for
28 yards, and scored a touchdown in the game against Green Bay.
3 – Tedy Bruschi, LB, 3rd
round (86th pick overall), 1996 NFL Draft
During Bruschi’s 13-year Patriots career, he has been a part of nine
playoff seasons, eight division championships, five conference titles
and three Super Bowl titles. He played in 189 regular-season games for
the Patriots, more than any other linebacker in team history. Bruschi
has played in 22 career playoff games, the highest total in Patriots
history. Bruschi has played in five Super Bowls with the Patriots,
tying the NFL's second highest Super Bowl appearance total, trailing
only Mike Lodish (six Super Bowls with Buffalo and Denver). Bruschi's
five Super Bowls ties the NFL record for a linebacker. From 2002-07,
Bruschi averaged 105 tackles per season. He led the team in
regular-season tackles in 2006 (124) and 2007 (99) and also led the
team in playoff tackles both years. Bruschi was a defensive captain for
seven straight years until he retired in 2009.
2 – Ben Coates, TE 5th
round (124th overall), 1991 NFL Draft
Coates played in 142 games over nine seasons as a Patriot with 105
starts. Coates is third all-time in team history in receptions (490),
fourth in receiving yards (5,471) and second in receiving touchdowns
(50) – all tops among tight ends in Patriots history. In 1994, Coates
set a single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 96 (now
tied for third) and still holds the franchise record for receptions by
a tight end. He also led the team in touchdown receptions for six
straight seasons between 1993 and1998 and led the team in overall
receptions five times. Coates was named to the Patriots Team of the
Century in 2000 and ranks in the top 10 all time among NFL tight ends
in career receptions, yards and touchdowns. He was selected to the
Patriots Hall of Fame in 2008.
1 – Nick Buoniconti, LB,
13th round, 1962 AFL Draft
Buoniconti played linebacker for the Patriots from 1962-68 and was
voted an AFL All-Star five times, including 1966 when he was the top
vote getter. In 1970, Buoniconti was named to the All-AFL team,
commemorating the best players in that league’s history. Hall of Fame
quarterback Len Dawson said of Buoniconti, "if you are lucky enough to
knock him down, you have to lay on him or he'll get right back into the
play." In 1992, he was the second Patriots player named to the Pro
Football Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame
in 2001.
Kevin Saleeba is a frequent contributor and columnist
to Patriots Insider. A former beat writer for local media, Kevin has
extensive knowledge of the team and experience covering the Patriots. Share
your thoughts on this article, or send
your questions to Kevin (here.
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