New England Patriots: Top 5 NFL Draft picks of the 2010s

2. 2010 NFL Draft Round 1, Pick 27: Devin McCourty, DB

Devin McCourty entered the 2010 NFL Draft as an interesting cornerback prospect who appeared to have shutdown upside on the outside. McCourty had immediate success as a rookie, being named to the Pro Bowl and a second-team All-Pro for his play in 2010. He was an instant impact player for the New England Patriots and seemed to be heading towards a successful career at the cornerback position.

However, during the 2012 season, Belichick and company moved McCourty to free safety and he immediately became one of the best players at the position in the entire NFL. McCourty is such a smart and instinctive player on the back-end who routinely shines in coverage. He is an impressive man-to-man defender who is also incredibly dependable as the last line of defense.

As strong as McCourty was as a cornerback, he has become one of the best players of the decade for this team at the free safety position. A great leader for the Pats on the defensive side of the ball and a potential future Hall of Fame player, taking McCourty in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft proved to be an extremely smart move by the New England Patriots.