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New England Patriots: Best and worst draft picks

In the days leading up to the 2013 NFL Draft, NFL.com will allow users to determine the best and worst draft picks for every team. The series continues with the team that owns the No. 29 overall pick in this year's draft, the New England Patriots.

Best picks

Tom Brady -- 2000 (No. 199 overall)
What, you were expecting Tebucky Jones? For value, Brady is probably the greatest draft pick in NFL history. But former Patriots personnel boss Scott Pioli used Brady as a reminder how random the draft process could be. Pioli used to keep a framed picture of tight end Dave Stachelski on Pioli's desk as a reminder that he wasn't some draft genius. Stachelski, like Greg Randall, Jeff Marriott and Antwan Harris, was drafted by the Patriots before Brady during the 2000 draft.
»2000 NFL Draft | Photos: Brady through the years

John Hannah -- 1973 (No. 4)
Before Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick arrived, New England didn't have much of a football history. But they had John Hannah. He can still make a strong argument as the greatest offensive guard of all-time.
» 1973 NFL Draft | Photos: Hannah through the years


Drafting Brady gets all the attention, but grabbing Seymour and tackle Matt Light the next year in the first two rounds meant just as much to the 2001 Championship team. It's easy to forget just how dominant Seymour was on a dominant defense. He was the final, unblockable piece that made the Patriots defense work. From 2002-2006, he made the Pro Bowl every year with three first-team All Pros.
» 2001 NFL Draft

Ty Law -- 1995 (No. 23)
Drafted by Bill Parcells, Law was a difference maker in the Patriots secondary from day one. He bridged the gap as a guy who played in a Super Bowl loss with Drew Bledsoe and three Super Bowl winning teams with Tom Brady, recording massive playoff moments throughout. (The three interception AFC Championship against Peyton Manning; the touchdown return against Kurt Warner.)
» 1995 NFL Draft

Andre Tippet -- 1982 (No. 41)
100 sacks and a Hall of Fame career from a second-round pick. That's value.
» 1982 NFL Draft

Vince Wilfork -- 2004 (No. 21)
Bill Belichick loves to trade on draft day. Perhaps his best move ever came in 2003, when he moved the No. 19 pick for a second-rounder and Baltimore's first-round pick in 2004. The Patriots used their extra pick on Wilfork, a five-time Pro Bowler. The Ravens used their pick on Kyle Boller.
» 2004 NFL Draft

Honorable Mention: Bruce Armstrong, Raymond Claiborne, Asante Samuel, Tedy Bruschi, Matt Light, Rob Gronkowski, Stanley Morgan

Worst picks

Ken Sims -- 1982 (No. 1)
Before Allen Iverson, there was Ken Sims. The top overall pick in 1982 was known for his lousy practice habits and was called "Game Day" because he responded to criticism by saying "I'll be there on game day." Except he wasn't. He only played more than nine games in a season four times, recording 17 sacks in his entire career.
» 1982 NFL Draft

Eugene Chung -- 1992 (No. 13)
The Patriots took tackles as top 13 picks in back-to-back years, with USC's Pat Harlow coming in 1991. This is better known as the "Dick McPhearson" era.
» 1992 NFL Draft

Chris Singleton and Ray Agnew -- 1990 (No. 8 and No. 10)
The Patriots traded the No. 3 overall pick to Seattle in the 1990 draft to get two top 10 selections. Awesome. Not as awesome: Getting backup-level production from Singleton and Agnew. The Seahawks, meanwhile, drafted Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy.
» 1990 NFL Draft

Chad Jackson -- -- 2006 (No. 36)
It's not really about Jackson. He's just a stand in for the startling number of total second round busts in the Belichick era. I could have also chosen Bethel Johnson, Ron Brace, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley or Adrian Klemm.
» 2006 NFL Draft

Tony Eason -- 1983 (No. 15)
Sure, Eason started a Super Bowl and played pretty well early in his career. The problem: There was no late in his career. He never started five games in a season again after 1986. Eason also gets major deductions for being taken one pick after Jim Kelly, and 12 picks in front of Dan Marino.
» 1983 NFL Draft

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.