Ranking the Patriots Last 10 First-Round Picks, Worst to Best
By Ryan Bunton
![Dec 21, 2019; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots outside linebacker Dont'a Dec 21, 2019; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots outside linebacker Dont'a](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2625,h_1476,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/253/01httpykx24q1he0m5q8.jpg)
8. Isaiah Wynn
The first of two Georgia Bulldogs taken by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, tackle Isaiah Wynn was selected with the 23rd overall pick. New England had acquired the 23rd overall pick from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a package centered around wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Wynn's Patriots career was mired by injuries. He missed his rookie season after tearing his Achilles in the second preseason game, while the Patriots eventually won Super Bowl LIII over the Rams, the team whose draft choice they used to select Wynn. The lineman then entered 2019 as New England's starting left tackle, but suffered a toe injury in Week 2, forcing him to miss eight games. Once again, the Patriots began 2020 with Wynn at left tackle, but he would once again find himself on injured reserve later in the season. He was moved to right tackle for the 2021 season, before ending the season yet again on injured reserve. In total, Wynn missed 39 games across his five seasons in New England, with his only healthy season coming in 2021.
Even when healthy, Wynn wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire either. He was benched several times in 2022, including when he received an astonishingly embarrassing pass-blocking grade of 5.0, yes a 5, out of 100 from Pro Football Focus in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns.
Eventually, Wynn left the Patriots to join their division rival Miami Dolphins in May 2023, where he once again ended the season on injured reserve.
Wynn's injury history has made it nearly impossible to truly rate his ability to perform at an NFL level during his time in New England, but sometimes the best ability is availability, and Wynn failed that test at a position where availability is at a premium.