Patriots draft bust given last chance to revive career in the NFC South

Throughout Bill Belichick's tenure as the Patriots head coach and general manager, he was often lauded for his innate ability to consistently put together championship-winning rosters with ease. It was an effort that many teams tried to replicate but could never duplicate what he was able to accomplish over two decades.

Part of what made Belichick's work even more fascinating was his keen eye for talent in the draft that most other teams missed. It's how the Patriots were able to make stars out of players like Tom Brady and Julian Edelman, two players drafted in the late rounds.

There is a long list of players who thrived in New England because of that belief, but in the later years of Belichick's career, he appeared to miss more on draft picks than home runs, which inevitably became an issue in their continuous effort to win more Super Bowls with Brady under center.

Unfortunately, draft busts began to pile up, with some classes not having a single player still on the team a year after they were selected. The most memorable of all remains N'Keal Harry, a much-needed wide receiver taken in the first round who never lived up to the hype that the Patriots had of him.

Another player among the worst was former Vanderbilt cornerback JoeJuan Williams, a second-round pick in the 2019 draft. The Patriots' secondary was pretty stacked then, so depth was mostly needed. But Williams never made his mark on the team. It led to his release last year after his final season in New England ended with his placement on injured reserve for the previous season.

He eventually signed with the Vikings, but is now signing with a new team in hopes of reviving his NFL career.

JoeJuan Williams is given another shot to be a contributor with the Saints

After spending time with the Vikings and Bears' practice squads last season, Williams spent most of this offseason training and working toward earning a contract with a team for 2024. That call finally came from the Saints this week, who signed the cornerback to a one-year deal.

Given how his career has gone over the last two years, it's fair to assume this is likely the last chance Williams will have to make his mark in the NFL. Unfortunately for him, though, the Saints secondary is no joke, as they allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards in the league last season.

Making the roster or the practice squad might be an uphill battle. But it's clear Williams is making the effort to keep his career going.

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