New England Patriots: 2017 Draft class ranked poorly after one year
By Nick Ziegler
Bleacher Report recently ranked the 2017 draft classes for each team one year later. Where did the New England Patriots rank?
The New England Patriots have the reputation of being one of the best teams when it comes to having success in the NFL Draft. While they have had their misses on picks like every franchise, the Patriots generally do well.
One of the reasons why the Patriots have had success is because of their strategy to stockpile draft picks. However, in 2017, the Patriots shockingly only made four selections, with the first coming into the third round.
Due to a big trade with the New Orleans Saints, the Patriots sent their first-round pick there in exchange for Brandin Cooks. Even though this move doesn’t help the draft class look like a good one, he was a very good player for the Patriots in 2017.
All in all, the Patriots ended up making just four picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, as the selected Derek Rivers, Antonio Garcia, Deatrich Wise, and Conor McDermott. With just four picks being made, and none in the first two rounds, the Patriots were ranked with the worst draft class after one year by Bleacher Report.
As of now, the ranking by Bleacher Report is certainly a fair one. Out of the four players, only Deatrich Wise was able to contribute for the Patriots. Wise was the best player in the class in 2017, as he was one of the few that was actually healthy. Overall, Wise totaled five sacks as a rookie, which could indicate a bright future.
For the two third-round picks of the Patriots, they unfortunately were not able to play in 2017. Derek Rivers suffered a torn ACL before the season, and Antonio Garcia had blood clots in his lungs which kept him out.
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While Rivers will be back and healthy for the Patriots in 2018, Garcia was waived by New England in the offseason. For the Patriots, the success of this draft class will likely fall squarely on the shoulders of Wise and Rivers. With only just one year from the draft, they are the only two from the draft class still on the team.