NFL draft preparation continues this week as coaches, scouts, agents, fans, and media head down to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. The combine is one of the pivotal events for the upcoming rookies to cement their draft position. That said, some organizations develop connections with members of college staff, resulting in them drafting many of their prospects.
This was the case during Bill Belichick's 20+ years as head coach of the New England Patriots. During that time, Belichick developed a relationship with Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. As a result, from 2001-2011, New England drafted many Scarlet Knights. Notable names include Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Logan Ryan, and Tiquan Underwood.
McCourty and Ryan both developed into elite defenders at the NFL level and may end up in the Hall of Fame. With that being said, New England could look to replicate that formula with new head coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel and the Patriots brass wouldn't need to search too hard to find a connection in college football, with one former Patriots coach right around the corner.
Bill O'Brien would love BC to become one of Mike Vrabel's go-to-schools for prospects much like Rutgers was for Bill Belichick. https://t.co/l5kZPDqft3
— Karen Guregian (@kguregian) February 23, 2025
Boston College Could Become the Patriots New College to NFL Pipeline
Former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is now the head coach of Boston College. O'Brien began with the Patriots organization in 2007 as an offensive assistant and worked his way up to offensive coordinator in 2011. He was then rehired as OC in 2023. Vrabel and O'Brien overlapped as player and coach for the 2007 season.
Although they may not have been on the same side of the ball, they still saw each other in the building daily. Furthermore, Vrabel was the Houston Texans linebacker coach and defensive coordinator from 2014-2017 when O'Brien was Houston's head coach.
Then, the two coached against each other for two seasons in the AFC South. Suffice it to say the two have a strong relationship.
When asked about the potential for Boston College to become a pipeline for New England by Masslive.com, O'Brien had nothing but positive things to say.
"You’re representing a bunch of fans who are blue collar fans who care about the team, love the team, and have passion for the team. Nobody embodies that more than Mike Vrabel. These guys at BC are like that. The fans would love these guys. They fit with Mike’s mentality. They’re hard-working guys, they’re lunch pail guys, they’re tough guys. They’re used to being in a demanding program. They’re used to tough coaching. So they do fit the mold."Bill O'Brien
O'Brien's comments seem to indicate that this partnership would be a win-win for both parties. New England certainly needs to add all the hardworking young talent they can after how last season went. On the other hand, many Boston College players would surely love to -play for their hometown team.
There has already been evidence of this during the senior bowl when one local Boston college prospect made his case for the Patriots to draft him.
Nevertheless, fans will have to wait and see if a Vrabel and O'Brien pipeline develops over the coming years.