Bill Belichick was fired after the 2023 season following a disappointing slump in the post-Tom Brady era, with their issues in the NFL Draft being a big reason why they had their struggles
Bill Belichick had some big misses in the NFL Draft that led to his firing
The New England Patriots were a struggling football team in Bill Belichick‘s final four years, recording a 29-38 record from 2020 through to 2023. The signs clearly indicated that the Patriots were in decline during Tom Brady‘s last campaign with the team in 2019.
And while Brady’s departure was a big reason for their struggles, Belichick’s role as general manager as well as head coach during his New England reign means that he must take the majority of the blame.
Namely, the Patriots had been arguably the worst team in the NFL Draft for almost a decade — with their decisions really catching up with them towards his final years as head coach. The Patriots whiffed on five first-round draft picks in a row, with Isaiah Wynn, Sony Michel, N’Keal Harry, Mac Jones, and Cole Strange all not lasting long.
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In Belichick’s final draft in 2023, he hit on his first-rounder after they selected Christian Gonzalez, a shutdown cornerback who has impressed in both press and zone coverage since. The Patriots selected him with the 17th overall pick in that class.
But if he had it his way, that may not have been his pick.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Belichick was heavily interested in using the Patriots ‘ first-round pick on Keion White, who they would actually select in the second round at 46th overall.
Belichick reportedly wanted to take Keion White in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft
Breer claimed on NBC Sports Boston: “If it were up to Bill Belichick and Bill Belichick alone, Keion White might have been their first-round pick in 2023, and not Christian Gonzalez.
“I think if it were up to Bill, it would have been Keion White. He had to be talked out of that one.”
The Patriots actually had the 14th overall pick that year and traded down to 17, reportedly feeling comfortable about selecting Gonzalez or White if the other had been picked.
And while Gonzalez has been an incredible producer for the team, White was not and is not even in New England anymore.
Despite an impressive start to his career, White has struggled as an edge rusher over the past two years while finding himself benched in recent weeks — effectively being out of the rotation.
Christian Gonzalez has been an elite cornerback since entering the league
After being on the outside looking in this year, the Patriots traded him to the San Francisco 49ers this week for a late-round pick, with Mike Vrabel clearly not being much of a fan.
An interesting prospect heading into the draft, White had been deemed as a “tweener” — being too big and lacking explosion to play off the edge, while not being big enough to play inside.
The 49ers are expected to use him inside after trading for him, as a pass-rushing 3-technique in their rotation.
The Patriots have since nailed a number of their draft picks, including quarterback Drake Maye, who has led them to a 6-2 start this season.
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