Patriots: Biggest draft steal of every year of the past decade

2014 Patriots Draft Steal: James White

With all due respect to Bryan Stork (hero) and Jimmy Garoppolo (not really a Patriot, not really a steal), James “Sweet Feet” White is the clear front-runner here.

Selected in the latter part of the fourth round as a direct replacement for Shane Vereen (LOL!), the former Badgers ‘back eventually worked his way up to becoming Tom Brady’s most trusted swing pass target since Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris. White, who almost feels like a Patriot for life at this point, made his money in the 2016-17 postseason, scoring the first Pats touchdown of the 28-3 comeback and hauling in 14 balls in all for 110 yards and a trio of TDs in that unforgettable game.

Every time you can turn yourself into the indelible image of the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, you’ve probably earned credit as the top draft steal in your class. After all, we know Jimmy G can overthrow a wide-open receiver with the title on the line, but we don’t know White would’ve done the same if asked to rip a pass deep down the field, right? He’s clutch. Half-kidding.

Overall, White has five rushing and three receiving touchdowns in postseason play, and the decision to factor him into the game plan heavily is typically a good one.