The only time Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell saw playing time during his NFL career came in 2008 as a rookie with the the New England Patriots.
O’Connell has enjoyed a ton more success as a coach than he did as a quarterback. But he’s far from the only member of his Patriots draft class to take up coaching.
Jerod Mayo, who was New England’s first-round pick in 2008, quickly rose from an inside linebackers coach in 2019 to being named the new head coach of the Patriots this offseason after the organization parted ways with Bill Belichick.