The New England Patriots had a two-decade long run of success that made them pretty hard to ignore.
In the middle of a six-Super Bowl run, the Patriots were routinely playing in the national window and in the public eye. That made not just the organization, but its players, subject to public opinion on their performance.
There are many players who rightfully garnered reputations as the league’s best, like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Adam Vinatieri and others. There are also players who might have seen their stock undeservedly raised, like these guys.
Brandon Meriweather (2007-2010)
The Patriots selected Brandon Meriweather with the No.