Dec 2, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks with defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (75). Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the fifth installment of a multi-part review and grading of the previous drafts of the New England Patriots under coach and executive Bill Belichick.  As the Patriots are beginning their “voluntary” organized team activities along with their other NFL counterparts, this period of preparing for the 2013 season until the kickoff of the official training camp in July is often the only down time in the NFL calendar. Now is an ideal time to look back and re-grade the previous drafts of the New England Patriots while under the leadership of Bill Belichick.

As a note, these draft grades take into account the player’s impact while in New England weighed against the other players who were available in the draft at that time, as well as the the strength of the draft as a whole that season.  Below is the revisit and re-grading of the Bill Belichick draft that played a key role in adding two consecutive Super Bowl championships in New England: the 2004 NFL Draft.

The Patriots ended the 2003 season on a high note, as the team shook off a mind-numbing 31-0 loss to the recently released from New England Lawyer Milloy-led Buffalo Bills in week one to roar through the schedule and finish with 12 consecutive victories and a 14-2 regular season  record one year after missing the playoffs. The season included a memorable victory over Denver on a Monday night game at Mile Hile featuring an intentional safety by the Patriots. The Patriots were pinned down at the one yard line and went three-and-out and intentionally to the safety to pin Denver back. The strategy paid-off as young quarterback Danny Kanell went three-and-out and gave the ball back to the Patriots with 2:15 on the clock.  Tom Brady led the Patriots down the field and completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to young wide receiver David Givens with only 36 seconds remaining in the game.

There was also an epic defensive battle against the resurgent Dallas Cowboys under Bill Parcells on a cold Sunday night in November at Gillette Stadium.  The Cowboy’s defense showed up, limiting the Patriots to 12 points and quarterback Tom Brady to a rare, sub-50% completion rate that night.; however, he did–as was customary in that offense–complete passes to 8 different receivers.  New England’s defense showed up strong and shut out the Cowboy’s offense (one of the defense’s 3 shutouts that season and 2 additional games without allowing a touchdown), as cornerback Ty Law picked off two Quincy Carter passes and fellow cornerback Tyrone Poole added another pick. Dallas’s leading rusher, Troy Hambrick, was held to 41 yards on 16 attempts on the ground.  The Patriots only scored once, a 2 yard plunge by running back Antowain Smith set-up by a 57 yard completion to David Givens on the previous play.

The Patriots headed into the 2004 draft with an additional 1st round pick and 2nd round pick courtesy of their previous trades into this draft year during the 2003 draft.  New England had packaged their second 1st round pick (#19) in 2003 to Baltimore for their 2nd round pick in 2003 and Baltimore’s 1st round pick in 2004. The Patriots also had traded one of their 3rd round picks (#78) to Miami for their 2004 2nd round pick.  That 2nd round pick was traded to Cincinnati for their disgruntled running back Corey Dillon, who allowed New England to replace aging and ineffective running back Antowain Smith with an all-pro talent on the cheap. Cincinnati drafted safety Madieu Williams with the 2nd round pick. Williams was a solid pick-up, but definitely it was a trade that New England would make every time, considering the next running back drafted after that spot was Mewelde Moore (Chris Perry, Kevin Jones, Greg Jones, Julius Jones, and Tatum Bell were drafted ahead of the pick that was traded for Dillon, along with running back Steven Jackson). In addition, the Patriots swung a deal prior to the 2003 season dealing one of their 4th round picks (#104) for nose tackle Ted Washington.

Sep 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (75) hits Buffalo Bills wide receiver Donald Jones (19) on a pass play and knocks the ball loose during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Patriots beat the Bills 52-28. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

1st Round #21: Vince Wilfork, Defensive Tackle:

The Patriots essentially got their all-pro nose tackle Vince Wilfork from the Baltimore Ravens for Kyle Boller along with their picks that–after more dealing–brought in defensive back Eugene WIlson and defensive lineman Dan Klecko in 2003:  That is the kind of deal that shapes franchises. Currently, Wilfork is manning the center of the Patriots’ defensive line while Baltimore had to invest in another 1st-round draft pick at quarterback after Boller cost them multiple opportunities with their championship defense.  Wilfork stepped in to replace Ted Washington, and has been one the Patriots’ most consistent and productive defensive players.

Should Have Drafted: Buffalo took quarterback J.P. Losman at #22, one pick after Wilfork. Seattle struck out with Marcus Tubbs at #23.  One could argue the Patriots should have taken running back Steven Jackson at #24 overall, but the choice of Wilfork has stood the test of time.

Grade: A

September 27, 2012;Baltimore, MD, USA;Baltimore Ravens defensive end Paul Kruger (99) deflects a pass intended for Cleveland Browns tight end Ben Watson (82) at M

1st Round #32: Ben Watson, Tight End:

Bill Belichick had visions of the two tight-end offense in mind back in 2004 when he grabbed Ben Watson to pair with his other 1st round pick tight end, Daniel Graham, from 2002.  Though this pairing never proved to be as effective as 2010 draft pick tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, Watson was a solid, if unspectacular player for six years in New England before moving on to Cleveland.  Watson just never put all the athleticism and size together like Gronkowski, and his penchant for drops caused quarterback Tom Brady to look away from Big Ben at crunch time.

Should Have Drafted: The pick looks worse considering Arizona grabbed linebacker Karlos Dansby one pick later, and then the Giants snagged Boston College guard Chris Snee at #34 overall.  In addition, Jacksonville got linebacker Daryl Smith at #39, and Indianapolis picked up safety Bob Sanders at #44.  Of course, Detroit wasted the #30 pick on running back Kevin Jones that year, and San Francisco picked wide receiver Rashaun Woods one pick before Watson.

Grade: C

2nd Round #63: Marquise Hill, Defensive End:

Marquise Hill only played three seasons in New England. On May 28, 2007, Hill tragically passed away in a jet ski accident. Hill had stars Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, and former teammate Jarvis Green ahead of him on the depth chart, and likely would have been a starter elsewhere in the NFL as he was just starting to get more playing time prior to his untimely passing. It is hard to ascertain Hill’s impact had he not passed away, as the Patriots likely planned to use him as Green, Warren, and Seymour were replaced.

Should Have Drafted: Tennessee picked defensive tackle Randy Starks at #71, San Diego grabbed center Nick Hardwick at #66, and Arizona grabbed defensive tackle Darnell Dockett at #64, who all are very good players in the NFL. Another name jumping out was tight end Chris Cooley, who-before being derailed by injury–had a four year run as a better receiving option than Ben Watson.

Grade: C-

3rd Round #95: Guss Scott, Defensive Back / 4th Round #113: Dexter Reid, Defensive Back:

These two defensive backs get lumped together due to their being the first of a long run of swings and misses by the Patriots in addressing their defensive backfield. Neither Scott nor Reid made any specific impact in New England, and both were out of the NFL by 2007.

Should Have Drafted: Three impact defensive linemen went off the board at #98 (Shaun Phillips-San Diego), #117 (Robert Geathers), and #126 (Jared Allen-Kansas City); in addition, defensive backs Nathan Vasher (#110-Chicago) and Will Allen (#111-Tampa) went off the board in the general area of these two picks.

Grade: D

4th Round #118: Cedric Cobbs, Running Back:

Cobbs contribution in New England was minimal. He played 3 games in 2004, rushed for 50 yards in 22 attempts, and other than a cup of coffee with Denver in 2006, was out of the NFL.

Should Have Drafted: San Diego got a decent running back at #154: Michael Turner.

Grade: D

5th Round #164: P.K. Sam, Wide Receiver:

The Patriots continued their later round washouts in this draft, as P.K. Sam played all of two games on special teams in New England in 2004.

Should Have Drafted: In the Patriots defense, after Michael Turner there were few impact players in this draft. Miami stole guard Rex Hadnot at #174, and Green Bay snagged defensive end Corey Williams, who had two good seasons in him at #179.  At least the Patriots got two games out of Sam, that was two more than Oakland got out of pick #166 (Shawn Johnson-Defensive End), or Houston from pick #170 (Vontez Duff-Defensive Back), or Pittsburgh at #177 (Bo Lacy-Tackle), or finally the Jets at #178 (Marko Cavka-Tackle): All four never played a snap in the regular season.

Grade: C

7th Round #233: Christian Morton, Defensive back:

The Patriots gave up a 6th round pick (#197) to sign restricted free agent defensive end Rodney Bailey away from the Steelers, so they had only this pick which came to them from New Orleans as part of the Tebucky Jones trade in 2003.  There remained slim pickings in the draft, and other than Green Bay hitting (another) late round home run with guard Scott Wells at #251. Beyond Wells, there was little value late in the draft that year.

Should Have Drafted: Besides Wells, maybe Giants running back Derrick Ward (#235), who at least was a decent special teams player and stepped up in 2008 to contribute a 1,000 yard season. Considering he played at Fresno State for FBB (Friend of Bill Belichick) Pat Hill, the Patriots should have had the inside track for drafting Ward.

Grade: C-

1st round pick Vince Wilfork was a great value pick for New England. Getting a stalwart of the defense for ten years from a 1st round pick is a win. For example, Jacksonville wasted the #9 overall pick on wide receiver Reggie Williams.  Tampa never got the production they expected from #15 overall pick Michael Clayton.  Cleveland spent the #6 overall pick on tight end Kellen Winslow Jr, who pieced together two good seasons after missing almost two full season with injuries.   Unfortunately, the rest of the Patriots’ picks came up short that year, which made them part of the trend, no the exception as this draft had numerous top 100 picks who never contributed in the NFL. Unfortunately in New England, these lean drafts began to become a disturbing trend, rather than a one-year aberration.

Overall Grade: C+

November 27, 2011; Philadelphia, PA USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel before the game against the New England Patriots at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

This is the fourth installment of a multi-part review and grading of the previous drafts of the New England Patriots in the Bill Belichick era.  As the NFL remains in the doldrums of the off-season calendar, the Patriots and other NFL teams are in a period of preparation and review until training camp kicks off in July. Now is the opportune time to look back and re-grade the previous drafts of the Bill Belichick led New England Patriots.

As a note, these draft grades take into account the player’s impact in New England weighed against the other players who were available at the time, as well as the the strength of the draft as a whole that season.  Below is the revisit and re-grading of the Bill Belichick draft that played a key role in adding two consecutive Super Bowl championships in New England: the 2003 NFL Draft.

The Patriots ended the 2002 season on the outside looking in, as an inconsistent team struggled to a 9-7 record and missing the playoffs. One year after their amazing Super Bowl victory over St. Louis, the Patriots suffered a four game losing streak during the 2002 season, as well as losing two of their last three regular season games in uninspired fashion.  The team needed an infusion of youth and playmakers, as the offense struggled to score at times and the defense repeatedly gave up crucial conversions.

The Patriots headed into the 2003 draft determined to show that previous seasons wheeling and dealing was a mere trifle compared to this year.  Players deemed expendable were moved for draft picks that became pieces of moves by the Patriots up, down, and all over the draft board.  The Patriots pre-draft day dealing included having the Buffalo Bills 1st round pick as part of their 2002 deal for former Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe, starting safety and former 1st round pick Tebucky Jones to the Saints for three picks (3rd & 7th round picks and a future 4th round pick in 2004), tackle Greg Robinson-Randall for a 5th round pick (to the young franchise Houston Texans), and trading back-up offensive tackle Grant Williams to the Rams for a 7th round pick.

Once the draft started, the Patriots continued to jump around, moving up in the draft, trading down and out of the draft, and stockpiling future picks. One of those future picks (not to steal the thunder from the 2004 draft), but the Patriots made two “future trades” that drive fans batty on draft day but often pay dividends: New England packaged their second 1st round pick (#19) to Baltimore for their 2nd round pick in 2003 (more about that pick later) and Baltimore’s 1st round pick in 2004; Also, New England traded one of their 3rd round picks (#78) to Miami for their 2004 2nd round pick.  Those picks eventually turned into defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and Cincinnati running back Corey Dillon, two key cogs in 2004 and beyond.

1st Round #13: Ty Warren, Defensive End:

The 2003 draft was notable for the depth on the defensive line as 8 of the first 18 picks were on the defensive line.  Some were studs: (Kevin Williams, Minnesota at #9), but most were duds: (Dewayne Robinson, New York Jets #4; Jonathan Sullivan, New Orleans #6; and Jimmy Kennedy, St. Louis #12).  Sitting at #14, the Patriots were looking for help on the defensive line to pair with young star Richard Seymour, and apparently got nervous as Jimmy Kennedy went off the board and the Chicago Bears got ready to pick.  Throwing in a 6th round pick (#193), the Patriots jumped over the Bears to grab Texas A&M defensive end Ty Warren.  All the Patriots got were two Super Bowl rings and an unheralded mauler opposite Seymour for the next seven years. The Bears, content to move down, took Penn State defensive end Michael Haynes followed by the Eagles taking underachiever Jerome McDougle to supplement their defensive line at #15 overall.

Should Have Drafted:  Warren was not flashy, but he was the perfect fit on the defensive line. He ate up blockers and made the lives of Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest, and Tedy Bruschi that much easier for the next few years while displaying occasional pass rush skills.  The only other 1st round pick after #13 overall who the Patriots may front office may smack their forehead in a moment of reflection would be USC safety Troy Polamalu who went to Pittsburgh at #16. That said, Warren stepped in and played a key role in the trenches to help add two Super Bowl rings. In comparison, the Jets took the first defensive lineman in the draft with Dewayne Robinson at #4 overall, and he failed to make as much contribution as compared to Warren.

Grade: A

2nd Round #36: Eugene Wilson, Defensive Back:

The Patriots 2003 season started about as bad as any season ever had in New England Patriots history, as the Patriots released Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy in the week prior to the start of the season and saw him sign in Buffalo, their week one opponent.  One 31-0 loss later, and the 2003 season hardly seemed to be one that would end with confetti falling in Reliant Stadium on February 1st in the Super Bowl.  However, a rookie cornerback was converted to safety, and suddenly the secondary righted itself, the team moved on from the loss of Milloy, and they closed the season with a perfect inverse, beating Buffalo in week 17 31-0 to finish 14-2 (Milloy had a great view of the playoffs on his couch as the Bills went 5-10 the rest of the way after beating New England week one).  No small part of the turnaround was due to 2nd round pick Eugene Wilson, who stepped in as as starter and added 47 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 9 passes defended on the way to starting in the Super Bowl the next two seasons. The Patriots moved up to grab him, and by week two of the regular season, not one New England fan was upset that it cost them their 2nd and 3rd round pick to move up five spots (the Patriots got a 4th round pick back in the deal with Houston

Should Have Drafted:  Rashean Mathis (#39) and Drayton Florence (#46) were very good 2nd round picks who have had long, productive careers. That said, Dallas struck out with center Al Johnson at #38 and Houston wasted the #41 pick (which they received when they traded down with the Patriots) on tight end Bennie Joppru, who never caught a pass in the NFL during the regular season.

Grade: B

2nd Round #45: Bethel Johnson, Wide Receiver:

This pick gets dragged to light each year at draft time as a huge miss at wide receiver by Bill Belichick and the Patriots.  Johnson should have been quarterback Tom Brady’s vertical threat for years to come.  Instead, Johnson contributed more on special teams in his career in New England than with the regular offense. The only thing worse than seeing that the Patriots took Johnson at #45 was remembering that they traded up to get him, adding a 4th round pick (#120) to move up.

Should Have Drafted: Anquan Bolden, wide receiver and “that guy” that abused the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game and could have been Super Bowl MVP went to Arizona at #54.  Of course, imagine if the New England defense added pick #56, defensive end Osi Umenioya.

Grade: D

4th Round #117: Dan Klecko, Defensive Line:

Dan “Son of New York Sack Exchange Member, Dan” Klecko was not much of an impact player in the regular defense in New England; however, Klecko was one of those “Belichick Guys” who contributed to the team on special teams.  Klecko even saved a roster spot of offense as he stepped up as the blocking back–and even catching passes out of the backfield–in short yardage situations. A solid, if unspectacular pick, Klecko earned his money during his time in New England .

Should Have Drafted: Three names jump off the page with San Francisco taking future Patriot wide receiver Brandon Lloyd at #124, Pittsburgh taking Tom Brady’s nemesis defensive back Ike Taylor at #125, and Indianapolis taking speed rushing defensive end Robert Mathis at #138.  Of course, the 4th round also churned out soon-to-be-out-of-the-league players like tackle Lance Nimmo (#130), defensive end Bryant McNeal (#128), center Austin King (#133), and defensive tackle Rien Long (#126). Those four make the pick of Klecko look a lot better.

Grade: C+

4th Round #120: Asante Samuel, Cornerback:  

Along with their second round defensive back, Eugene Wilson, the Patriots doubled-up at defensive back by grabbing a short cornerback out of Central Florida.  This year Samuel picked off pick #50 of his career, 16 more than #5 overall pick Terence Newman. Samuel had an acrimonious exit from New England after he outplayed his rookie contract.  In one of the few mis-steps by the front office, New England failed to lock up Samuel early in his contract and traded future Pro Bowl seasons for a few well under-market value seasons. Whatever happened afterwards, the Patriots did get 5 excellent seasons out of the #120 pick.

Should Have Drafted: See above, Ike Taylor or Robert Mathis were the only two who are comparable.

Grade: A

Aug 20, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots center Dan Koppen (67) on the field as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half of the preseason game at Gillette Stadium. The Eagles defeated the Patriots 27-17. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

5th Round #164: Dan Koppen, Center:

Boston College had back-to-back picks in the 5th round, as Pittsburgh grabbed quarterback Brian St. Pierre at #163 and the Patriots took his center, Dan Koppen, at #164.  St. Pierre was a serviceable back-up for a few years, but Koppen was forced into action in 2003 when former Boston College Eagle and Patriots first round pick, starting center Damien Woody, missed their game in week two.  After starting guard Mike Compton went down in week three for the season, Woody slid over to guard and Koppen started at center in New England through 2010. Eight seasons and a Pro Bowl is an effective use of the #164 pick.

Should Have Drafted: Arizona took guard Reggie Wells at #177 and Philadelphia took guard Jeremy Bridges at #185, both are comparable talents.  Three good interior linemen contributing out of that late part of the draft is impressive and speaks to the depth of the draft this season.

Grade: A

6th Round #201: Kliff Kingsbury, Quarterback:

Not much to say about Kingsbury: Nothing special: Out of the league by 2006.

Should Have Drafted: Miami snagged safety Yeremiah Bell at #213, but some beautiful symmetry would have been better served by moving up in the round to grab Tom Brady’s heralded competition at Michigan, Drew Henson, as he was available until pick #192 when Houston picked him up. Something tells me Tom Brady would have had a measure of satisfaction knowing Henson was on the bench watching him win Super Bowls.

Grade: C-

7th Round #234: Spencer Nead, Fullback:

Nead never played in New England, as his role as a fullback was co-opted by 4th round pick, Dan Klecko.

Should Have Drafted: Taco Wallace, wide receiver out of Kansas State. No, seriously, he was off the board at #224. How great would it be to have been able to hear the Patriots announcers say “Brady trying to find Taco down the field!”?  The Giants got wide receiver Kevin Walter at #255 who has turned into a decent wide-out after a few years of seasoning before finding a role in Houston.

Grade: C-

7th Round #239: Tully Banta-Cain, Linebacker:

The Patriots got a steal in Banta-Cain, who carved out a niche as a special teams player and situational pass rusher in New England before making some free-agent money from San Francisco after a break-out 2006 season; then, after being a salary cap casualty, he came back to contribute a 10 sack season in 2009 and another 5 in 2010.

Should Have Drafted: Green Bay took “The other” Chris Johnson at #245 and Oakland got some decent seasons out of him (2008 to 2010) after he bounced around the league a bit.

Grade: B+

7th Round #243: Ethan Kelley, Defensive Tackle:

Kelley ended up playing 36 games in the NFL, playing three seasons in Cleveland contributing on special teams and even starting a few games on the defensive line.  He played one game in 2004 and made one tackle

Should Have Drafted: Scott Shanle was drafted #251 by St. Louis and found a role as a starting linebacker and a Super Bowl ring after the 2009 season when he was 4th on that team with 56 tackles and recovered two fumbles and added two interceptions.

Grade: C-

This draft added three starters and two solid role players on defense and a starting center for the offense.  Wide receiver Bethel Johnson was the only glaring swing and miss, and the Patriots even got a good player out of one of their 7th round picks. This draft added solid pieces on the defense and injected some playmakers in the secondary. It was the kind of deep draft that still netted a future #1 and #2 pick who became players who played, and still play, key roles in New England.

Overall Grade: A-

Dec 16, 2012; Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch (84) reacts during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

This is the third installment of a multi-part review and grading of the previous drafts of the New England Patriots in the Bill Belichick era.  With little free agent news and rookie mini-camps quietly running, the Patriots and other NFL teams are in a quiet period until training camp kicks off in July; therefore, this is an excellent period in the NFL schedule to look back and re-grade the previous drafts of the Bill Belichick led New England Patriots. As a note, these draft grades take into account the player’s impact in New England weighed against the other players who were available at the time, as well as the the strength of the draft as a whole that season.  Below is the revisit and re-grading of Bill Belichick’s first draft as a Super Bowl champion in New England:  the 2002 NFL Draft.

The Patriots completed the 2001 season with an improbable run to the Super Bowl beating Oakland in the “Snow Game (in New England)/Tuck Rule (everywhere else) Game” with the controversy of the officials using replay to make the correct call (there had been a similar situation where a turnover was overturned against the Patriots defense in a regular season game earlier that season, so coach Bill Belichick was aware of the rule and how it could apply in that situation). They followed that with an exciting victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game. Then came the amazing Super Bowl victory over the two-touchdown favorite St. Louis Rams behind second-year 6th round draft pick Tom Brady, who had come off the bench to replace local legend Drew Bledsoe at quarterback earlier in the season and never relinquished the job.

The Patriots headed into the 2002 draft with their usual assortment of picks (other than their 6th round pick which was traded in 2000) and an extra 5th round pick from Jacksonville on a draft day trade in 2001.  However, this draft was dominated by the news of the trade the Patriots made with division rival, Buffalo, where they sent their quarterback who had rescued the franchise back in the early 1990s to the Bills for their 2003 first round pick.

As hard as it may be to recall after all the years of excellence from quarterback Tom Brady, there was a big split between the fan base as to keep the quarterback in jersey #11 or #12.  At the time, it was clear that the team could not keep both: Brady had won the Super Bowl and Drew Bledsoe had signed a then-record contract and no team was going to have the highest-paid player in the league as a back-up.  Remember, in the AFC Championship game, Brady had left the game with a leg injury, and Bledsoe had come off the bench to throw the touchdown before half-time that was the difference in the game and sent New England to the Super Bowl.

Because of the 9-11 terrorist attacks that year, there was no usual two-week break between the championship games and the Super Bowl. The local and national media were able to rehash the entire Brady or Bledsoe debate that had lingered all season with the added caveat of Drew Bledsoe having come off the bench to lead the team to victory, had played in a Super Bowl, and was not injured like Tom Brady.  Fortunately, the Patriots made the right choice in the Super Bowl–as they had made during the season–and on the second day of the draft, the Patriots made the correct decision to trade Bledsoe to Buffalo.

1st Round #21: Daniel Graham, Tight End:

The New England Patriots wasted no time moving around the draft, as they packaged their 1st round pick (#32) with their 3rd round pick (#96) and 7th round pick (#234) to Washington for the #21 pick in the first round.  With visions of an offense built around two tight-ends percolating in the brain of Bill Belichick a decade ago, the Patriots grabbed Daniel Graham, a big, athletic target out of Colorado.  Graham was intended to be the big, red-zone target the offense was looking for over the next few years. While the team benefitted from his in-line blocking skills in winning two more Super Bowls, and he did once contribute 7 touchdowns in a season, there is no doubt that Graham did not exactly fill the niche that the Patriots had in mind for him when they traded up to get him.

Should have drafted: On one hand, the Patriots could indicate that at least they did not take linebacker Napoleon Harris (#23), or cornerback Mike Rumph (#27) and at least Graham did not bring the head-aches that the other 1st round tight ends, Jerramy Stevens (#28) and Jeremy Shockey (#14), brought to Seattle and the New York Giants respectively.  However, when looking at the draft that year, the best pick of the draft that year was at #24 overall, so other than Carolina at #2 (hard to argue with picking an athletic freak like Julius Peppers), and Indianapolis at #11 (Dwight Freeney was a controversial pick at the time) 20 teams–including the Patriots–passed over a safety from the University of Miami named Ed Reed.  Denver wasted it’s 1st round pick (#19) on wide receiver Ashley Lelie; Dallas took defensive back Roy Williams over Reed at #8 overall instead of Reed; Arizona took Wendell Bryant #12 overall, and he was out of the league in three years; Cleveland took Boston College running back William Green at #16 and Atlanta took running back T.J. Duckett at #18: this draft had a lot of misses in the 1st round. However, for Bill Belichick, it must hurt thinking how close he was to adding Ed Reed to a defensive back-field with Lawyer Milloy and Ty Law in the 2002 draft.

Grade: B

2nd Round #65: Deion Branch, Wide Receiver:

The New Patriots continued to add weapons for their young quarterback early in the draft, grabbing Louisville wide receiver Deion Branch.  Putting aside the contentious contract negotiations that led the Patriots to send Branch to Seattle before bringing him back as a veteran safety-blanket on the outside, Branch was a home run in New England and played a huge role in the Super Bowl victories after the 2003 and 2004 seasons.  Branch never had a 1000 yard season (although 998 yards in 2005 is close enough), but his ability to step-in to the lineup and step-up in big games (4 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs) was key for the Patriots.

Should have drafted: As the last pick of the 2nd round, there were few players taken in the 3rd round that had that kind of impact. Carolina grabbed linebacker Will Witherspoon at #73 and San Diego grabbed linebacker Ben Leber at #71, and Philadelphia got running back Brian Westbook at #91, but compared to the players taken after him, Branch was the best player there.  Seven other receivers went before Branch in the second round (Jabar Gaffney, #31, Josh Reed #36, Tim Carter #46, Andre Davis #47, Reche Caldwell #48, Antwann Randle El #62, Antonio Bryant #63) and none had the impact that Branch had in his first four years (plus value from the trade to Seattle for their 1st round pick in 2007) in New England.

Grade: A

4th Round #117: Rohan Davey, Quarterback:

The Patriots traded up in the 4th round, sending their pick (#131) with their 5th round pick (#144) to move up and get their back-up quarterback of the future in Rohan Davey, the strong-armed LSU product.  Unfortunately, Davey did not pan out in New England, or in the league.  Out of the NFL after the 2004 season, Davey never made the next step in his development.

Should have drafted: Two very good linebackers came off the board after Davey, Larry Foote went to the Steelers at #128 and Scott Fujita went to the Chiefs at #143.  That said, getting ahead of the Dolphins in the fourth round at #114 would have gotten the team the most productive tight end of the draft, Randy McMichael and Jacksonville grabbed quarterback David Garrard a few spots ahead at #108 in the 4th round.

Grade: C-

4th Round #126, Jarvis Green, Defensive End:

The Patriots obtained this second 4th-round pick from Green Bay for mercurial receiver Terry Glenn (along with another 4th round pick in 2003).  In the middle of round four the Patriots snagged another LSU product in the pass-rushing specialist Jarvis Green.  Not a starter in New England, Green did well as a third-down pass rush specialist and contributed on special teams.

Should have drafted: Three of the next five picks in the draft never played a down in a regular season game.  Defensive tackle Rocky Bernard went to Oakland at #147 and would have helped on the interior of the line, but Green was overall a good fit on the championship defense and likely would have been a starter for another team in his peak seasons.

Grade: B+

7th Round #237: Antwoine Womack, Running Back:

The Patriots traded their second 5th round pick to Dallas for a 2003 5th round pick and snagged a 7th round pick in 2002 as part of the deal. The Patriots had no sixth round pick, having traded that years earlier to the Rams for wide receiver Dane Looker. Looker never panned-out in New England, nor did Womack, who failed to make the team and never played a down in the regular season in the NFL.

Should have drafted: Pittsburgh snared bearded defensive end Brett Keisel at #242.

Grade: D

7th Round #253: David Givens, Wide Receiver:

Givens, taken only 8 picks ahead of the so-called “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last player selected, came out of Notre Dame and–after using his rookie season to earn a roster spot playing special teams–contributed on the 2003 and 2004 Super Bowl teams as one of the regular starting wide receivers. After a strong season in 2005, Givens was lured away in free agency by Tennessee.  Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career.  In his four years in New England, Givens was a steal considering his draft position.

Should have drafted: The only other player in the draft after Givens who contributed was Rock Cartwright, fullback and special-teams player for Washington.

Grade: A

The 1st round pick was solid, but not spectacular.  The 2nd and 7th round picks, Deion Branch and David Givens, remain the only two wide receivers the team drafted and developed into contributors. For three years, the Patriots had their two draft picks regularly lined up outside on a championship caliber team. Round 4 had one wash-out (Rohan Davey) and one solid contributor (Jarvis Green). The other 7th round pick never played.  With only 6 picks, it seems light for a Bill Belichick team; however, the Patriots got some serious bang for their buck with three starters on offense and a solid contributor for the defense.

Overall Draft Grade: B+