New England Patriots: Is Their Draft Mastery Finally Dried Up?

There are many things that go into having a dynasty like the New England Patriots. A Hall of Fame quarterback is obvious, but there’s another vital aspect.

That’s an ability to continuously draft young talent, keeping the pipelines filled. With most one-and-done Super Bowl champions it’s the same story. They had a great run of drafts for 3-4 years and it culminated with a huge season and a championship. Then the well starts to run dry and they are forced to reload after a period of time. Just look at the Seattle Seahawks for the latest example.

From 2010 to 2012 they were insanely successful in the draft, collecting names like Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, and of course Russell Wilson. Since their championship win in 2013 though, their success has taken a considerable downturn. They have just one Pro Bowl player since that year’s draft and it was for special teams performance.

Now, incredible, it looks like after two and a half decades of dominance that the magic touch may finally be drying up for the mighty Patriots. That much is hinted at from their horrid recent luck with each of their newest 1st round picks.

Isaiah Wynn disaster merely the latest in a long string for the Patriots

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It looked like Bill Belichick was up to his old tricks again when he managed to acquire two 1st round picks in the 2018 draft thanks to a trade that sent Brandin Cooks to Los Angeles. His choices were Georgia’s own offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel. The idea was clear enough. The Patriots planned to do everything in their power to maximize the time Tom Brady has left. Unfortunately, that plan already hit a giant pothole.

Wynn tore his Achilles in a preseason game against Philadelphia, ending his year before it even began. If that weren’t bad enough, Michel has had frequent knee issues dating back to his time in college. He hasn’t played a real game yet and has already needed to have it drained. This is about as bad a start for the Patriots 2018 class as it gets. The thing is, it’s also a continued trend of disappointment with their drafts of late.

From 2000 to 2013, Belichick was untouchable. He drafted no fewer than 17 future Pro Bowlers in that span. It’s little wonder he was able to reach eight Super Bowls and win five of them. However, the well might be starting to dry up. Since 2014, not a single Patriots draft pick has managed to make a Pro Bowl. Not only that but four of the five top picks in those respective classes have suffered severe injury setbacks.

Dominique Easley messed up his knee. Cyrus Jones tore his ACL. Derek Rivers tore his ACL. Now Wynn has torn his Achilles. That is a terrible streak of bad luck and it’s fair to wonder how much longer the Patriots can survive this string of poor drafts before it starts to tell.

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