In the latter part of Bill Belichick's tenure in New England, his draft strategy was consistently under fire, and his questionable choices ruined the Patriots' chances of being a legitimate contender. It took until his final draft to truly redeem himself, selecting CB Christian Gonzalez, WRs Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas, and punter Bryce Baringer.
They have all turned out far better than expected and remain with the team this season. Unfortunately, the lone year under Jerod Mayo wasn't as successful beyond QB Drake Maye, meaning the new regime led by Mike Vrabel had to hit on their picks in 2024.
That has already been proven to be the case, and the 2025 rookie class continues to be one of the most impressive in New England history.
Besides the most talked-about names, there is a rising defensive star at safety, Craig Woodson, who has really impressed throughout his rookie year, particularly in the past month. His performance in the playoffs has already gotten a lot of attention, even from a Patriots great, who gave him the ultimate compliment for his performance against the Texans on Sunday.
Devin McCourty had nothing but praise for Patriots' rookie Craig Woodson after the divisional round
In response to Mike Vrabel's latest comments about Woodson's performance, Devin McCourty added his input on the rookie and believes he "plays like a 10 [year] vet."
That kind of praise from someone as well respected as McCourty is quite impressive for the rookie to hear going into the biggest game of his young career.
Plays like a 10yr vet https://t.co/V2yqZVA3Cp
— Devin McCourty (@devinmccourty) January 19, 2026
As one of the more under-the-radar players of this year's draft class, he's far exceeding all expectations and clearly impressing the right people in and out of the building.
It means a lot to hear this kind of praise from someone like McCourty, and the safety group has been very up-and-down since he retired after the 2022 season. That gave Woodson a massive opportunity, and he has taken it and run with it in a way not many expected.
He now has an even bigger chance to continue his rise against a very good Broncos' offense, and based on what we've seen from him so far, there's no doubt he will continue his standout performance when the lights are the brightest, further proving Vrabel and Co. absolutely nailed this year's draft class.