The Patriots have the unfortunate history of drafting many players who didn't become the kind of stars they were hoping for, which became an unlucky trend under Bill Belichick over the course of two decades. His questionable decisions led to many busts, some of whom became infamous during the dynasty years, most notably wide receiver N'Keal Harry and guard Isaiah Wynn.
Among the more forgotten names is Joejuan Williams, a 2019 second-round pick out of Vanderbilt who was expected to boost the team's secondary in the latter half of their Super Bowl run during the Tom Brady/Belichick era.
The problem is that he didn't exactly thrive within the defense, especially as a high-round selection, and missed several games in the three years he was in New England.
His post-Patriots career didn't get much better, either, as he spent time with the Vikings and Bears, which led Williams to announce his retirement earlier this offseason.
It's a disappointing end to what many thought could have been a great career, but he's made his way back to where his NFL journey began as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, which helps minority coaches gain experience in the league to set them up for success in their new role and hopefully lead to a full-time opportunity.
The Patriots reunite with a former draft pick in the best way possible
When a draft pick doesn't live up to where they were selected, it's not always a result of a team reaching for them, or there is a lack of legitimate talent.
Sometimes, their transition to the NFL is more difficult than expected, or, something that has happened a lot with the Patriots, they are not given a solid opportunity to show what they can do.
That is partially true when looking back on Williams' career in New England, as he came to the team at a time when they had a crowded secondary led by superstars like Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones, and Jason McCourty.
Given that they were all veterans and performing at a high level, it's no surprise that Williams wouldn't have had much chance to earn playing experience, and that didn't change much over the next two years.
Maybe he was overdrafted, or he could have just regressed due to a lack of opportunity. But now he has a chance to reshape his career in the coaching sphere, and the Patriots are a great team to learn from, even if they didn't always do right by the cornerback.
Working with Mike Vrabel is already a massive win for a former defensive player, especially if he wants to coach on that side of the ball. If not, then Josh McDaniels couldn't be a better mentor to learn from, on top of the other coaches that Vrabel has hired.
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