Since Bill Belichick took over as head coach of the New England Patriots in 2000, the team drafted a lot of very good players. It has drafted a lot of serviceable players. And it has also drafted its fair share of players who contributed little to nothing.
Luckily, the list of players falling under the latter category is not overly long when compared to other NFL teams – especially in the first rounds of the draft. Otherwise, the Patriots would not have been able to stay as competitive throughout the years.
However, a few names still jump out as high picks that failed to live up to their expectations. The three most notable ones are the following.
WR Chad Jackson: Jackson was selected with the 36th overall pick of the 2006 draft but left the Patriots after only two seasons, 15 games and a grand total of 13 catches. He was out of the league one year later. To make matters worse, the team with which New England made a trade to move up 16 spots to select the former Florida Gator, the Green Bay Packers, drafted Pro Bowl receiver Greg Jennings with the Patriots' original second round selection.
CB Ras-I Dowling: Dowling was selected with the 33th overall pick – the first pick of the second day – of the 2011 draft. New England acquired the selection via a trade with the Carolina Panthers but was unable to turn it into a valuable asset. After failing to trade the pick, the Patriots chose an oft-injured cornerback out of Virginia. Dowling lasted two seasons in New England, which both ended on injured reserve, and appeared in only nine games. He is now on his fourth team since entering the league.
DT Dominique Easley: Easley was selected with the 29th overall pick of the 2014 draft. A top-10 talent that fell down the draft board because of health concerns, the Patriots picked up the former Florida Gator near the end of the first round. Easley was released yesterday after only two injury-riddled seasons. He appeared in 22 games and registered 3.0 sacks, and is the only first round draft pick of the Belichick era to not spend at least four years with the club.
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The three players are the most prominent draft busts of Belichick's tenure as head coach. But who is the biggest? Jackson, Dowling or Easley? Or could it be someone else? Let us know below.