Sports

The New England Patriots' 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years

By HC Green Lindys Sports

Updated July 1, 2026 9:14 AM

Drafting is an inexact science. Even the best of the best miss for any number of reasons-injuries, poor scheme fit, off-the-field issues, lack of development, and so on. With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, things should be quiet on the personnel side until training camps open in July.

With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to go back over the last 10 drafts to identify picks which didn't pan out for each of the 32 clubs. Before we begin, let's set the ground rules: We're starting with the 2016 draft, so no players from the 2026 draft are eligible.

Now that we've established the parameters, here are the New England Patriots' five worst draft picks of the past decade:

Dishonorable Mentions

DT Vincent Valentine (96th Overall, 2016)
DE Derek Rivers (83rd Overall, 2017)
OL Antonio Garcia (85th Overall, 2017)
TE Devin Asiasi (91st Overall, 2020)
TE Dalton Keene (101st Overall, 2020)
DE Ronnie Perkins (96th Overall, 2021)
OL Cole Strange (29th Overall, 2022)
WR Tyquan Thornton (50th Overall, 2022)
WR Ja'Lynn Polk (37th Overall, 2024)

5) CB Cyrus Jones, 60th Overall (2016)

New England's first selection in 2016, Jones contributed next to nothing as a rookie, notching nearly as many fumbles (5) as tackles (7). He tore his ACL in the preseason in 2017 and was waived the following September.

4) CB Duke Dawson, 56th Overall (2018)

Dawson spent his rookie season alternating between the injured reserve list and healthy inactive status, and before taking a single snap with the Patriots he was traded to the Broncos along with a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round selection in August 2019.

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3) QB Mac Jones, 15th Overall (2021)

You could make a case that Jones should top the list based on expectations as a first-round quarterback to follow Tom Brady, but the Pats went to the playoffs with Jones at the helm in his rookie year, and he started 42 games for them. It didn't work out, and they eventually traded him to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick. That was a bad draft for quarterbacks, though, so at least the Pats didn't pass on someone better to choose Jones, who has reignited his career in San Francisco.

2) CB Joejuan Williams, 45th Overall (2019)

The 2019 draft was an abysmal affair for the Patriots, and that included the selection of Williams. The Vanderbilt product could never ascend the depth chart in New England, making just one start for the Pats and managing 46 tackles in four years with the club.

1) WR N'Keal Harry, 32nd Overall (2019)

About that 2019 draft, Harry was an even worse pick than Williams. Despite working with Tom Brady on a team that hadn't utilized a first-round selection on a wideout since 1996, Harry could never stick in the lineup and was traded to the Bears for a seventh-rounder after three forgettable seasons. Among the wideouts taken that year in Round 2 were Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf, and A.J. Brown, who just cost New England a first-round pick to acquire.

This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM.