A closer look at the 2000 New England Patriots Draft

So I mentioned the other day after getting a J.R. Redmond card that I wanted to look at the 2000 New England Patriots draft class.  I'm sure I'm not the first to do so (Although people typically probably compare him to other quarterbacks from the class), but it's crazy seeing Tom Brady drafted so low on a card like this:

So I figured I'd take a quick look at the guys on this card.  Because why not?

Round 2, Pick 46: Adrian Klemm
The most interesting part of this draft, to me anyways, is that the Patriots didn't have a first round pick because they traded it, along with 4th and 5th round picks, for Bill Belechick.  That's absolutely wild, and I can't believe I don't remember it.  But that's why the Pats didn't have a first round pick here.

As for Klemm, he got to celebrate a lot of success for a guy for a guy who didn't play a lot.  He played in 42 games over five seasons (He missed all of 2001) with just 18 starts.  In fact, his most starts was eight, which happened in his final season with the Packers in 2005.  However, since he spent four years in New England, he won three Super Bowls.  Good for Klemm!

I also found it sketchy that Klemm never had an NFL trading card.  I know he was an offensive lineman but c'mon!

Round 3, Pick 76: J.R. Redmond
Redmond is the guy who I collect, and the guy whose card led to this analysis, so I'm biased.  And honestly, he never did a whole lot at the NFL level...all three of his regular season touchdowns occured during his rookie season, before two iffy seasons in New England and two in Oakland.  However, Redmond will always be memorable to me for his role in the first Super Bowl the Patriots won.  He caught three passes on the final drive of the snow bowl AFC Championship game, and then also was a major part of the final drive of the Patriots Super Bowl win over the Rams (Part One).  So stats might say otherwise, but Redmond was the man.

* Round 4, Pick 127: Greg (Robinson) Randall
I learned something else today!  That 2000 NFL Draft was the first to use compensatory picks, and the Patriots received four due to four guys lost in free agency.  Those guys were Todd Collins, Tom Tupa, Mark Wheeler, and Dave Wohlabaugh.  I don't know who Mark Wheeler was, but otherwise those are three pretty big dudes to lose for a team.  And because of some complicated formula, the Patriots got four extra draft picks.  Good times!

Randall was the first one picked, and played 51 games (39 started) across four full NFL seasons.  One was with the Texans and he dabbled on practice squads in 2004 and 2005 but Randall actually was pretty good in the Patriots Super Bowl year.  He started all 19 games that seasons and helped the Pats move from 26th to 12th in rushing.  He also obviously earned that Super Bowl ring, so good stuff Greg.

Round 5, Pick 141: Dave Stachelski
Stachelski had one reception for five yards over nine games with the Saints in 2000-2001.  But man...is he ever so much more important than that.

Scott Pioli (Patriots VP of Personnel) put a picture of Stachelski on his desk to remind himself that he wasn't a draft genius since Stachelski was picked before Brady.  Basically Dave Stachelski was literally the picture boy for humility in New England for several years.

Why they picked him...I don't know.  Boise redshirted him for a year.  Then he played three years due to injuries.  Then he moved to defensive end but missed six games with injury.  Then he moved back to TE and had 31 catches for 453 yards.  So all told...really one season that was decent and a bunch of injuries.  Who saw potential there?

One last fun note - he shares Tom Brady's 2000 Fleer Tradition rookie card.  So that's cool.

Round 5, Pick 161: Jeff Marriott
If Stachelski seems like a guy who shouldn't have been picked before Brady, then Marriott is...wow.  His ceathlete page says a ton, but I can't find evidence that he actually ever played in a regular season NFL game.  Offensive line, defensive line, anything.  Guys picked within 20 picks of him include Kabeer Gbaja-Biamilia, Dante Hall, Marc Bulger, and Neil Rackers.  Hmmmm.

Round 6, Pick 187: Antwan Harris
Finally a guy that actually played for the Patriots!  52 games over four years with only two starts, but man did Harris make some big plays.  In the first Rams Super Bowl, he forced a Ricky Proehl fumble that led to the Pats only offensive touchdown.  The game before that, he took a lateral from Troy Brown on a blocked field goal and scored a touchdown to help beat the Steelers.  Harris didn't do a lot in the regular season, but man did he show up during some key moments for the Patriots.  He was a part of all three of those early Patriot Super Bowls like Klemm, so good for him!

* Round 6, Pick 199: Tom Brady
I'm not gonna talk about him because I did this whole post because of him.  But I always thought it was cool that Brady just barely made it under 200. 

Also, as I learned today, Brady was a compensatory pick.  So whether it be Tom Tupa or Todd Collins or...dare I say...Mark Wheeler...one of these dudes brough Brady to New England, which is wild.  I like to think it was Tom Tupa because he was always the man like that.

* Round 6, Pick 201: David Nugent
I could've stopped at Harris, because this was mainly an exercise in Brady, but I want to keep this ish going, so LET'S GO! 

Nugent played three years in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with those 2001 Patriots (As most dudes on this list did as long as they actually played for the Patriots!).  He played 15 games with one start with the Patriots, and then played 9 games with the Ravens in 2002.  I'm sure he'd call the Super Bowl win his best moment, but it's actually kind of cool that Nugent was allocated by the Raiders to the Rhein Fire in 2004 and was named 1st Team All Europe after picking up six sacks.  So maybe that was his best time?  Who knows?

Round 7, Pick 226: Casey Tisdale
Another guy who never played for the Patriots.  He did play for the Scottish Claymores in 2001...he had 18 tackles and 5 special team tackles!  But yeah...not much here.

* Round 7, Pick 239: Patrick Pass
I mentioned I love FBs in a recent post, so I LOVED Patrick Pass.  He played eight seasons, seven in New England and one with the Giants, so he won three Super Bowls obviously.  He bounced back and forth between FB and RB and played a ton of special teams, so he was always a guy I rooted for.  He's also on my number one white whale card, which is the 2002 Pacific Heads Up Quads card featuring Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe, Troy Brown, and Patrick Pass.  I NEED IT!

Undrafted: Lonie Paxton
So those are all the drafted guys, but I figured I'd throw in the undrafted Lonie Paxton as well.  He was one of the best long snappers in NFL history during his time with the Patriots, and his snow angels following the Raiders playoff game in 2001 will be remembered for a long time by Patriots faithful.  He played 12 seasons overall, including three with the Broncos where he was briefly the second highest paid long snapper in the NFL.  He also married a former Patriots cheerleader, so good for Paxton!  He's a local hero and I think well deserved!

In a redraft that ignores everyone else, what's the new order?
Because yeah...I wanna do this.
1. Tom Brady
2. J.R. Redmond
3. Greg Robinson Randall
4. Lonie Paxton
5. Antwun Harris
6. Patrick Pass
7. Adrian Klemm
8. David Nugent
9. Dave Stachelski
10. Casey Tisdale
11. Jeff Marriott