When the Patriots are on the clock with the No. 21 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Bill Belichick will certainly be looking for players who embody certain qualities.
During an appearance Thursday on NFL Network, longtime Patriots personnel executive Scott Pioli provided viewers with a glimpse into Belichick’s mind.
“During those nine seasons, we made sure when we went in the first round — we took Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork and then Logan Mankins — every single one of those guys were not only big, physical and tough but they were extremely dependable,” Pioli said.
Physicality, toughness and dependability are important qualities to emphasize when it comes to drafting players. It shows Belichick values consistent performance over streaky athleticism.
Most of the Patriots’ first round picks during the Belichick-Pioli era were home runs: Seymour, Warren, Wilfork, Mankins and Jerod Mayo were all excellent players, as well as team leaders. On the rare occasions the Patriots seemed to deviate from those qualities — Laurence Maroney and Brandon Meriweather — they missed.
Maybe Belichick’s best run came in 2010-12, when the Patriots selected Devin McCourty, Nate Solder, Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower in the first round. But since then, the record has been mixed. The Patriots’ last six first-round picks are Mac Jones, N’Keal Harry, Isaiah Wynn, Sony Michel, Malcolm Brown and Dominique Easley. Jones, the biggest hit of the bunch, embodies dependability.
Over the last couple of years, Robert Kraft has often spoken about the importance of the draft when it comes to team building, and his frustration with the Patriots’ mixed recent track record. Maybe Belichick would be wise to review his old playbook.