"Throughout Bill Belichick's tenure as the head coach and general manager of the New England Patriots, he became known for how he handled roster building and his impressive record in evaluating talent to make the right decisions for the team. The most notable aspect of all was his apparent insight into when it was best to move on from a player who had once been a pillar of the team; however, the same could not be said about how he handled the draft."
"From his choice of drafting N'Keal Harry in the first round of the 2019 draft over receivers like A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel and using a first-round selection on lineman Cole Strange to trading up to pick receiver Tyquan Thornton, Belichick was far from an expert on accurately gauging the kind of players they would be in the NFL. In many ways, he was eventually proven right when those players left New England."
"After surprisingly making the Chiefs' 53-man roster for the 2025 season, Thornton has revived his career in Kansas City with a few solid performances to start the year. His most noteworthy came against the Giants on Sunday Night Football, which had Patriots fans upset about what he could have been on their offense, to which Thornton replied with a strong message to all those who had already written him off long before he left New England."
Bill Belichick earned renown for roster building and talent evaluation yet accumulated notable draft misses late in his Patriots tenure. Several first-round and trade-up selections failed to meet expectations, with examples including N'Keal Harry, Cole Strange, and Tyquan Thornton. Some decisions appeared vindicated only after players left New England, but the draft record remained problematic. Tyquan Thornton unexpectedly made the Chiefs' 53-man roster in 2025 and produced promising early-season performances. A standout game against the Giants and a defiant message to critics have prompted reconsideration of Thornton's earlier "bust" label and of draft judgments.
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