The Myth of the New England Patriots Drafting Bad Defensive Backs
Swing big, miss big, right?
Barroom debate theory: the Patriots will always be suggested as a team that might roll the dice on a “troubled” player, and that’s because of Corey Dillon and Randy Moss.
Other barroom debate theory: the Patriots will always be viewed as bad at drafting defensive backs (corners and safeties), and that’s because of Ras-I Dowling.
The guy that would unfortunately come to be known as “Ras-IR Dowling” to some witty fans (a pun on “IR”, meaning “Injured Reserve”) was a second-team All-American out of the University of Virginia that the Patriots drafted with the 33rd pick of the 2011 draft. He suited up for two seasons, landed on injured reserve in 2011 and 2012, and was released before the 2013 season started.
That’s, admittedly, a pretty bad whiff. Like, a striking-out-playing-kickball whiff.
But that also makes Bill Belichick’s history of drafting defensive backs look way worse than it actually is. Examining his draft history at the position proves this to be the case.
For the purposes of the following list, we’re only going to examine players that the Patriots draft in the first three rounds. Guys drafted after that that even make a team’s active roster are shoot-the-moon exceptions, not the norm. We’re also going back to the 2001 draft, since that was the first draft in which Belichick was, in everything except name, the Patriots’ general manager.
Also, keep in mind that due to their set-your-clocks-by-it annual trips to the playoffs, the Patriots were almost always drafting in the mid-to-high 20s, or occasionally 30s.
As Mario might put it, “Let’s-a go!”
(all stats are from www.pro-football-reference.com)
2014: No defensive backs selected until Round 6.
2013: Round 3, Pick 83 – Logan Ryan (Rutgers)
2012: Round 2, Pick 48 – Tavon Wilson (Illinois)
2011: Round 2, Pick 33 – Ras-I Dowling (Virginia)
2010: Round 1, Pick 27 – Devin McCourty (Rutgers)
2009: Round 2, Pick 34 – Patrick Chung (Oregon), Round 2, Pick 41 – Darius Butler (Connecticut)
2008: Round 2, Pick 62 – Terrence Wheatley (Colorado)
2007: Round 1, Pick 24 – Brandon Meriweather (Miami, FL)
2006: No defensive backs selected, at all.
2005: Round 3, Pick 84 – Ellis Hobbs (Iowa State)
2004: Round 3, Pick 95 – Guss Scott (Florida)
2003: Round 2, Pick 36 – Eugene Wilson (Illinois)
2002: No defensive backs selected, at all.
2001: Round 3, Pick 86 – Brock Williams (Notre Dame)
So, overall, that’s 12 defensive backs that Belicheck has drafted in the first three rounds of the draft, at draft spots where one can reasonably expect them to be successful. Let’s see how each of them worked out.
Brock Williams (2001) played two seasons for New England, then bounced around between active rosters and practice squads before flaming out of the NFL in 2005. That’s the definition of a bust. Not off to a great start here.
Eugene Wilson (2003) started four seasons for the Pats, got two Super Bowl rings (’03 and ’04), and was part of the 2007 team that came within a miracle play of 18-0. Wilson went on to play until he was released by the Houston Texans in 2011. Solid, if unremarkable.
Guss Scott (2004)…um, not much to see here, really. Played for three NFL seasons, and played a total of 11 games. Yikes. Bust.
Ellis Hobbs (2005), aside from playing on the 17-1 team of 2007, also held the NFL record (along with Randall Cobb and Jacoby Jones) for a kickoff return for a TD of 108 yards, a record that was only recently broken by Cordarelle Patterson in 2013. Hobbs also snagged 10 interceptions in his six-year career. That’s a solid pick.
Brandon Meriweather (2007), for having racked up enough fines to build an elementary school playground, made the Pro Bowl twice while he was on the Patriots, and has 15 interceptions in his career. That’s a win for Coach B.
Terrence Wheatley (2008) was a full-on faceplant. He had four tackles in his entire NFL career. Not sacks, or tackles for loss. Tackles. Chalk one up for the “Bust” category.
Patrick Chung (2009) just won a Super Bowl and resurrected his career this year with the Pats, playing as a top-of-the-box run-stuffing strong safety after his disastrous attempt at free safety before. Shaky start, for sure, but there’s no denying he was a valuable piece of New England’s 2014 championship run. Darius Butler, on the other hand, only lasted two years with the Patriots, but has 10 career interceptions so far. Butler is also still a starter for the Indianapolis Colts.
Devin McCourty (2010): No explanation needed. (But if an explanation was needed, 17 interceptions, a Pro Bowl selection, two second-team All-Pro nods, a Super Bowl ring, and being almost universally considered one of the best free safeties in the league ought to do it for you.)
Ras-I Dowling (2011): Also no explanation needed, for completely different reasons.
Tavon Wilson (2012) is a Super Bowl champ with 5 interceptions over three seasons? That’s a pretty promising start to your NFL career. Solid.
Logan Ryan (2013) was the AFC Interceptions Co-Leader in 2013 (as a rookie!), but didn’t play as much in 2014 due to the Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner acquisitions. Belichick’s obsession with Rutgers players continues. Solid start, though.
So, by my math, that means that, as a defensive back talent evaluator, Bill Belichick has four undeniable busts (Williams, Scott, Wheatley, and Dowling), compared with five guys that ranged from good (E. Wilson, Ellis Hobbs, Chung, Butler) to very good (Meriweather), one home run (guess…surprise, it’s McCourty), and two guys that the jury is still out on, but both have shown a lot of promise in limited action (T. Wilson, Ryan).
Still think Belichick sucks at drafting a good defensive back? He’s basically batting .667, while almost always drafting at the bottom of the first round or finding secondary talent in the second and third round!
Conspicuously absent on this list is Asante Samuel, the man who deserves equally as much blame for dropping a game-clinching Eli Manning would-be-interception in the 2007 Super Bowl as David Tyree does for making a miracle catch. Why’s that? Belichick drafted him in the fourth round in 2003. Meaning that Belichick drafted an All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl corner out of the UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA in the fourth round. Samuel also has 51 career interceptions (so far).
So next time your friends start talking about how the Patriots can’t draft defensive backfield talent, bet the next round on it, lay down the facts, and don’t worry if Bill calls a corner’s number in May at the draft.