2011 NFL Draft: Bill Belichick's 10 Biggest Draft Busts in New England
Over the recent decade, the New England Patriots have become to be known as one of the league's premiere drafting teams. New England, led by Bill Belichick, have made quite a few brilliant draft choices over the past decade—whether if it's Tom Brady or Logan Mankins, Belichick has made some nice picks.
Although, with all of those brilliant selections, there came a lot of draft busts—players that did not amount to anything.
Surprisingly, Belichick has made multiple mistakes over the past decade, which goes against calling Belichick and the Patriots the top drafting team in the NFL. However, the way I look at it is that the Patriots stockpile on draft picks, which give them a much larger sample—more draft picks mean more busts and more studs.
Here are New England's 10 biggest busts during the Belichick era.
NOTE: This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @TonySantorsa.
10. Brandon Meriweather
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In 2007, the Patriots drafted Brandon Meriweather 24th overall, and he hasn't panned out exactly to what his talent may have projected him to be.
You may argue that Meriweather has been named to two Pro Bowls, however, the only reason he received the honors were due to injuries to players ahead of him—also, the Pro Bowl voting is a joke.
Over Meriweather's four year career, he's played in all 64 games while starting 40 of them.
This past season for Meriweather was certainly a roller-coaster ride with playing time. Due to inconsistent production, poor angles on the ball and receiver, along with bone-headed helmet-to-helmet hits, Meriweather was benched several times.
At this point of a players career, they're supposed to be reaching their prime and peak of their career. Meriweather, on the other hand, hasn't shown any signs of improving. To me, it appears that Meriweather simply doesn't get it.
9. Shawn Crable
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Shawn Crable played a mere six games as a Patriot during his short-lived New England career.
Crable was a third round pick (78th overall) in the 2008 draft.
Out of Michigan, Crable had a lot of hype coming out of college, as he was said to be extremely versatile and athletic. In fact, many scouts believed that Crable could play multiple positions on the defensive front-seven.
With so much hype and potential, Crable amounted to nothing. In those six games, Crable recorded four tackles and just one sack. Now, Crable is a member of the New York Jets as he was waived from New England's roster on November 16, 2010.
8. Kevin O'Connell
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Former San Diego State quarterback Kevin O'Connell was projected to have a promising future if he was developed and groomed properly.
O'Connell was selected by the Patriots in third round of the 2008 NFL at 94th overall.
New England released O'Connell after just one season with the team.
During that lone season, O'Connell played in two games, and went four of six passing—just mop up duty.
O'Connell was replaced by undrafted quarterback Brian Hoyer out of Michigan State. Now, O'Connell is a member of the New York Jets.
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7. Benjamin Watson
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The Patriots never had an elite tight end since the days of Ben Coates, and many thought that Benjamin Watson would be the answer—he was not.
Watson was selected in the first round of the 2004 draft at 32nd overall. Watson entered the league with great speed and athleticism at the tight end position, and many scouts projected Watson to be a match-up problem against defenses.
Watson played six seasons with the Patriots, and most of those years were just average. Some might not consider Watson a bust, but with his skill set he should have been an all-pro tight end.
During those six seasons, Watson caught only 20 touchdowns and was very inconsistent as he dropped multiple passes and never really found his niche.
At the expiration of his contract, New England parted ways with Watson and he signed a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns.
6. Daniel Graham
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The 21st overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft was practically only good at one thing: blocking.
Tight end Daniel Graham never really found his own as a first overall selection. Graham wasn't a great receiver, as he caught only 17 touchdowns in five seasons with the Patriots.
Graham is such a large target, and New England hoped that he'd become a devastating red-zone target—he was not.
Although being a team leader, Graham didn't amount to anything special, considering that he was a first round selection and a physically gifted tight end.
5. Marquise Hill
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Defensive end Marquise Hill was tragically lost in a jet skiing accident on May 28, 2007, and never was able to fulfill his NFL career.
Prior to his death in 2007, Hill wasn't really a factor on the field.
Hill was a second round pick in the 2004 draft out of LSU, and had all the potential in the world to be a productive defensive end in New England's 3-4 defense.
Hill only appeared in eight games, which came in the 2005 season. During those eight games, Hill recorded just three tackles, nothing else.
We'll never know if Hill would have developed into a quality defensive end, as his life was cut short. However, Hill played three years on the Patriots roster, and spent most of that time on the team's practice squad.
4. Terrence Wheatley
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The 2008 second round pick out of Colorado literally amounted to nothing for the Patriots.
Cornerback Terrence Wheatley had all of the intangibles to be a starting cornerback, but he never seemed to find his own as a Patriot.
Wheatley played very well at the college level, as he made impacts from his freshman year all the way through his senior season.
Wheatley spent two seasons with the Patriots before being cut in 2010. He played in 11 games for New England and only started one of them.
3. Adrian Klemm
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Bill Belichick's second round selection in the 2000 draft should be considered as one of his worst decisions.
Adrian Klemm, out of Hawaii, was projected to be a member of New England's starting offensive line. In four years with the Patriots, Klemm started only 18 games while playing in 42.
Klemm was a four-year starter out of Hawaii, and should have emerged as an NFL starter—he failed to do so.
2. Laurence Maroney
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It appears that New England cut ties with this draft bust at the perfect time, as he was just arrested for possession of marijuana.
The 21st overall pick of the 2006 NFL draft was running back Laurence Maroney out of Minnesota.
Maroney was scouted as a tough, physical runner and he failed to show those traits as a Patriot.
Sure, Maroney had his moments, as he ran for 1,580 yards and scored two touchdowns in his first 12 years in the league. But, he did nothing after that.
Maroney was known to be very hesitant about hitting the correct hole on running plays and he'd frequently "dance" around int he backfield and lose yardage.
New England traded Maroney away to the Denver Broncos, along with a sixth round draft choice in 2010, in return for a fourth round draft choice.
1. Chad Jackson
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Wide receiver Chad Jackson probably gave me the most headaches out of any Patriot in the last decade.
Jackson was the 36th overall selection in the 2006 draft out of Florida, and many believed that he'd develop into New England's number one receiver—he failed to do so.
With so much natural talent and speed, Jackson was the ultimate bust. He wasn't able to stay healthy and he never dedicated himself to learning New England's offensive system.
Jackson spent just two years in New England, after being cut on August 31, 2008. During those two years, Jackson played in just 18 games and caught 14 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, Jackson was recently seen on the Buffalo Bills practice squad in 2010, but he was released in early September.
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