Patriots: Best and worst draft choices, by round, in the Belichick era
By Jon Galvin
Round 7
Best: Julian Edelman, WR (2009).
Honorable Mention: David Givens, WR (2002); Tully Banta-Cain, LB (2003); Matt Cassel, QB (2005).
The three-time Super Bowl champ Julian Edelman, with 620 career receptions and 36 receiving TDs in 11 seasons, was a brilliant 7th-round pick.
The choice of Edelman was a great example of the Pats drafting at their best: combining solid scouting with thorough follow-up work and mixing in a dash of creativity. Imagine picking a QB and projecting him as a WR? Hmm, sounds a little like one of their 2024 undrafted free agents.
Jim Nagy, the Pats Midwest area scout in early 2009, said of Edelman:
"But Julian was a heck of a football player, and you don't want to discard really good football players. So you think outside the box and try to get creative, try to find a role for him."
- Jim Nagy
Worst: Jeremy Gallon, WR (2014).
Not-so-honorable Mention: Willie Andrews, DB (2006); Jeremy Ebert, WR (2012); Xzavier Dickson, LB (2015); Dustin Woodard, OL (2020).
Gallon, a wide receiver out of Michigan, never a played a down in the NFL but, in fairness, he’s no worse than several others listed above.