The top 5 players the Patriots mistakenly passed on drafting in the past five years

Deebo Samuel in 2019

One of the most exclaimed comments during a Patriots game over the last four years has been something like, "The Patriots could have drafted (receiver name) instead of N'Keal Harry."

Now that Harry is no longer on the team, we may not hear this sentence as much. But since New England is still on the hunt for their tried and true WR1, it's possible we'll not hear the end of this argument until that happens.

One of the receivers that have been a constant in that conversation is Deebo Samuel.

At the time of New England's first-round selection at pick 32, they had some incredible wide receiver options, including Samuel, with whom they had a reportedly great pre-draft visit, so much so that Samuel posted on his social media accounts that he would see Belichick in a month.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen, as Belichick stunned the universe and chose Harry instead.

It will inevitably be one of the biggest flubs by Belichick in his entire coaching career, especially since Harry was quickly deemed a bust and Samuel has become one of the best dual-threat offensive weapons in the league.

In his first four seasons, Samuel has totaled 223 receptions for 3,230 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 14.5 yards per catch. Additionally, he's totaled 123 rush attempts for 782 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

Because of his production on the field, Samuel is a one-time Pro Bowler named a First-Team All-Pro in 2021. Meanwhile, Harry contributed to the Patriots with 57 receptions for 598 yards and four touchdowns through 33 games.

Referring to passing on Samuel as a giant mistake is putting it lightly, especially when looking at where the Patriots find themselves right now.