You hear it time and again. You MUST build through the draft! Free agency is the devil! And actually, that’s usually true. The two teams in this year’s Super Bowl are well aware, because the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are mostly home-grown. Here are 15 specific draft picks that explain why they’re alive right now while the rest of the NFL golfs:
1. Tom Brady, QB, Michigan — 199th overall in 2000: There’s little doubt that the Patriots wouldn’t be the Patriots and know and love/hate without Brady, who is already a Hall of Fame lock and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Next week, he’ll become the first player in NFL history to start six Super Bowls. And yes, 198 players were picked before him in 2000.
2. Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin — 75th overall in 2012: Wilson is on Brady’s track. While the Legion of Boom gets a lot of love, the Seahawks wouldn’t be a Super Bowl team without the cool and consistent Wilson. He plays well beyond his years and is about to become the youngest quarterback ever to start two Super Bowls.
3. Richard Sherman, CB, Stanford — 154th overall in 2011: Sherman is almost undoubtedly the best cornerback in football and a complete game-changer for the best defense in the NFL.
4. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona — 42nd overall in 2010: Where would Brady be these days without the best tight end in football? From Week 5 forward, Gronk was head-and-shoulder above everyone else at that position. No coincidence that the Patriots started dominating again at that point.
5. Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State — 47th overall in 2012: And since Wagner returned from a foot injury in Week 12, the Seattle defense has been virtually unbeatable. The Seahawks haven’t lost since.
6. Earl Thomas, S, Texas — 14th overall in 2010: The perennial All-Pro safety is arguably the best player in football at that position.
7. Kam Chancellor, S, Virginia Tech — 133rd overall in 2010: Chancellor might actually be the best play-maker in that star-studded Seattle secondary. He seems to rise up in big spots, is versatile and can lay wood. Without him, they might not have beaten the Panthers in the divisional playoffs.
8. Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama — 25th overall in 2012: Hightower is without a doubt the best player within New England’s tremendously underrated defense.
9. Julian Edelman, WR, Kent State — 232nd overall in 2009: Barely drafted in ’09, Edelman has become Brady’s favorable wide receiver. They’ve been through a lot of change at that position and tight end the last couple years, but he’s been a consistent presence.
10. Sebastian Vollmer, OT, Houston — 58th overall in 2009: He protects Brady from the right side and has usually been a force when healthy.
11. Vince Wilfork, DT, Miami — 21st overall in 2004: Wilfork is always a key presence for the Patriots, but that was truly the case as he experienced a big rebound season in 2014. His improved play certainly helped them mask the loss of Jerod Mayo.
12. Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia — 15th overall in 2012: My goodness, where would the Seahawks be without that 2012 draft? It’s so easy to forget about Irvin, who has been a pass-rushing force throughout his career.
13. K.J. Wright, LB, Mississippi State — 99th overall in 2011: Wright is also criminally under-appreciated as a cover linebacker and an all-around great player. He’s been a consistent contributor and starter since his rookie season.
14. Devin McCourty, S, Rutgers — 27th overall in 2010: The converted corner is excellent in over-the-top coverage and has emerged as a top-tier all-around safety for the Pats.
15. Nate Solder, OT, Colorado — 17th overall in 2011: He isn’t as good as Vollmer, but he holds things down on Brady’s blind side.
