New England Patriots: Naming Biggest Bust in Franchise History

The New England Patriots have been a very good team in the NFL Draft. However, even they make mistakes.

One of the reasons why the New England Patriots have been able to be a true dynasty in the NFL is because of their ability to draft well.

In the free agency era, drafting well is imperative for success because players can leave to join teams that have more money to spend. In the Bill Belichick era especially, the Patriots have drafted extremely well.

Most notably, Tom Brady was taken in the late rounds, and other key pieces on their team have been as well. Recently, NFL Nation reporters named the biggest bust in franchise history. Mike Reiss of ESPN went to the 1997 draft to make the selection for the Patriots.

"CB Chris Canty | No. 29 overall, 1997This was the first year after Bill Parcells departed the franchise for the Jets, and the top pick was Canty, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound cornerback from Kansas State who lasted just two seasons. Patriots Hall of Famer Troy Brown once shared the story that he was told to ease up on Canty in practice. Had the Broncos not selected DL Trevor Pryce the pick before, the Patriots probably would have nabbed Price, who went on to have a 14-year NFL career, and the story would have had a happier ending. — Mike Reiss"

For Canty, it was certainly a disappointing career after being selected in the first round. Canty played just two seasons for New England, as he totaled one interception and three sacks.

After his two seasons with New England, Canty went on to play a season with the Seattle Seahawks and a few games with the New Orleans Saints before having his NFL career come to an end.

Next: Patriots 7-Round Mock Draft

There were some talented players drafted after Canty, like Tiki Barber, Corey Dillion, and Sam Madison. Luckily, the Patriots have done a much better job drafting in recent years.