Bill Belichick Could Be Losing His Touch After Patriots' 2017 Draft Class Named Worst in NFL

Throughout his tenure as Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick has had great success finding hidden gems in the draft. Players like Julian Edelman, Asante Samuel, Trey Flowers, and (of course) Tom Brady were all taken by the Pats in the fourth round or later and produced terrific results.

However, Belichick hasn't had the same type of luck in the draft in more recent years. This is most apparent looking back at the 2017 draft class -- three years later, The Athletic ranked the Pats' class as the worst in the entire NFL that season.

After a few trades, the Patriots ended up with zero draft selections in the first two rounds in 2017; the trades netted Brandin Cooks, Kony Ealy, and a few additional picks. Brandin Cooks produced in New England, though he only lasted one year. Ealy, meanwhile, was generally forgettable.

The Patriots made four total picks in the 2017 NFL Draft: defensive end Derek Rivers, offensive tackle Antonio Garcia, defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., and offensive tackle Conor McDermott. Wise is the only one to get significant playing time in with the Pats.

So far, Rivers has had next to no impact on the Patriots organization. Due to injury, he didn't play at all in two out of his first three years and has recorded two total tackles in his time on the field with the Pats. Garcia and McDermott are no longer on the team at all.

What makes the Garcia pick more painful is the fact that Belichick and Co. traded up to pick him. They gave up two selections in order to pick up Garcia, one of which turned into Lions standout receiver Kenny Golladay.

The 2017 draft class is definitely a tough look for the Patriots organization as a whole and their head coach in particular. It's a concerning sign if and when it's time to kick-start a proper rebuild in Foxborough.