Contrary to conventional wisdom and revised history, the Patriots have hit the wide receiver jackpot in the first round before.
In 1996, the controversial choice of Ohio State’s Terry Glenn with the No. 7 overall pick turned out to be a catalyst for a run to the Super Bowl that season. His stardom was fleeting because his reliability was lacking, but the Patriots have never had a receiver more graceful than No. 88 save for perhaps a fully engaged Randy Moss. I’ll never lament this pick.
In 1977, the Patriots used the 25th pick on Tennessee’s Stanley Morgan, a roadrunner who had more rushing yards than receiving yards in his college career.