The 1993 and ’94 drafts set up the Patriots for long-term success. Thirty-plus years later, can they find a similar path? - The Boston Globe (2025)

Thirty-plus years ago, it wasn’t a straight line to respectability for the franchise. But those back-to-back drafts — which helped set the stage for an AFC title — were marked by a strong belief in their evaluation system, some patience, and a little luck.

Like most NFL rebuilds, the first — and most important — piece of the puzzle is quarterback. The Patriots theoretically took care of that last year, sticking and picking (despite the best efforts of the Giants to pry the pick away) Drake Maye at No. 3.

The 1993 draft had a similar vibe. That year, New England had several teams coming for the No. 1 overall pick. According to the Globe’s Will McDonough, the 49ers called the Patriots with a deal that offered their entire draft — nine choices— for New England’s first- and second- round picks. There was also a trade offered in which the Colts would send their top three picks and defensive lineman Jon Hand to the Patriots for the first overall pick.

But the Patriots went with quarterback Drew Bledsoe first overall. They also landed multiple starters on both sides of the ball, including wide receiver Troy Brown, linebacker Chris Slade, offensive lineman Todd Rucci, and wide receiver Vincent Brisby.

In hindsight, it was an impressive haul. Seven of the 10 players taken by the Patriots that year went on to play 85 or more games in the NFL, including Bledsoe, Brown, and Slade.

Still, Parcells was preaching patience.

“Too many holes, not enough pegs,” the coach told reporters after the draft. “When you only have [10] picks and you’re starting a new program, we obviously didn’t satisfy all our needs.

“I hate to use the word extensive, wholesale. We have so many things that we need to do that, quite frankly, we aren’t going to be able to do it all this year.”

More help arrived the following year. After a 5-11 season, the Patriots had the fourth overall pick. That year, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones coveted Southern Cal defensive end Willie McGinest, so much so that he offered the Patriots veteran wide receiver Alvin Harper for the pick.

Rebuffed by Parcells, Jones then tried to engineer a deal that would see the Cowboys move up from No. 28 overall to the fifth pick. But the Patriots stymied Jones and the Cowboys again. After they took McGinest fourth, ESPN cameras caught Jones in his team’s draft room, face down on a table in frustration.

“I didn’t think I was going to the Patriots because I had the Dallas Cowboys’ representatives at my draft party, and they were going to move up to the fifth pick and take me,” McGinest recalled later in an interview with NFL Network.

“I hadn’t had any conversations with the Patriots, Bill Parcells, nobody. Until draft day. They called me up with the fourth pick and they scooped me up.”

Bledsoe and McGinest helped to shape the Patriots’ culture throughout the late ’90s. But for the Patriots, the 1993 and 1994 drafts weren’t just about acquiring elite talent. They also produced late-round value.

In 1993, Brown was taken in the eighth round, and he went on to become one of the great pass catchers in franchise history, playing in 192 games and winning three Super Bowls. Brown was the best example of patience paying off, as he was cut and re-signed multiple times before growing into his role as one of the league’s premier slot receivers.

The following year, sixth-round pick Max Lane and seventh-round choice Marty “Mr. Irrelevant” Moore became important parts of the roster, and both ended up playing 100-plus games in the NFL.

The true payoff didn’t come until the 1995 draft, one that netted a pair of future Hall of Famers in Ty Law and Curtis Martin, as well as a foundational defensive player in linebacker Ted Johnson. In 1996, that core paved the way for the AFC title and a berth in Super Bowl XXXI.

In the end, it wasn’t just one draft or one choice that took the Patriots from 2-14 in 1992 to the Super Bowl four years later. It was a delicate process, one that took a keen eye for talent, a little luck, and more than a little patience.

With the understanding that some elements of team-building have changed, can the Patriots’ braintrust find a similar path back to success?

“There are some good players available, and we’re open to anything,” Wolf said when asked about this year’s draft. “We’re open to moving down. We’re open to moving up. We’re open to sitting there and picking. Whatever the case may be in terms of making the team better.”

Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him @cpriceglobe.