You don’t win six Super Bowls without a lot of great players. Just ask the New England Patriots.
Now, many of those greats were with the franchise over 65 seasons spanning two decades. But those great players helped the Patriots quickly become one of the league’s premier franchises, tying the record for most Super Bowl wins ever and setting the record for most Super Bowl appearances (11).
Among those great players, there were some who established themselves as better players than the rest of the group. So, let’s take a look at the 10 best players in Patriots history.
10. Stanley Morgan (1977-1989)
Morgan was an integral part of the Patriots’ successful seasons in the 1980s, emerging as one of the most explosive players in NFL history after taking him with their first-round pick in the 1977 draft. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Second Team All-Pro’s 19.2 yards per reception are the most in NFL history for a receiver with at least 500 receptions. His 10,352 receiving yards are also the most in Patriots history. Morgan has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2007.
9. Vince Wilfork (2004-2014)
Wilfork was at the center of some of the peak years of the Patriots’ dynasty. As a nose tackle, Wilfork never put up impressive statistics as he never recorded four sacks in a season and only once had more than 60 tackles. But Bill Belichick once noted that Wilfork was “impossible to stop in the running game” because New England often had the league’s best defenses during his 11 years there. It helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls and play in two more as Wilfork was a five-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro (a first team).
8. Logan Mankins (2005-2013)
There were many great players who played during the Patriots’ dynasty run in New England, but not all of them were lucky enough to win a Super Bowl. Mankins’ time in New England coincided perfectly with the 10-year drought that spanned the Patriots’ Super Bowls, being drafted after their third win in 2004 and traded weeks before their title-winning season in 2014. was gone But Mankins was consistently in the middle of the league. The best offensive lineman during his time in Foxborough, earning seven Pro Bowls and six All-Pro (one first-team) nods. Nor was Mankins’ inability to win a Super Bowl due to a lack of effort. He played the entire 2011 season with an ACL tear, which ended in a Super Bowl loss.
7. Richard Seymour (2001-2008)
Seymour’s arrival in New England helped round out a talented defense in its 2001 Super Bowl-winning season before becoming a key player in its next two Super Bowl titles. He finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2003, recording eight sacks and 56 total tackles as an interior defensive lineman that year. He had five sacks in 2004 when the Patriots won it all again. In his Patriots career, he was named a Pro Bowler five times and an All-Pro (three first-team) on four occasions. Those accolades, along with his role on three Super Bowl-winning teams, helped Seymour be named a Hall of Famer in 2022.
6. Ty Law (1995-2004)
While Seymour commanded the defensive line during the Patriots’ first three Super Bowls, Law was a nightmare for opponents in the secondary. He actually helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl in his second season in 1996, recording three interceptions that season. Two years later, he had a league-leading nine interceptions to finish third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He recorded the best defensive game in franchise history when he returned an interception for a touchdown in their Super Bowl XXXVI victory over the Rams, one of his three pick-sixes that year. He had six interceptions in his second Super Bowl-winning season in 2003 and added three more when he picked off Peyton Manning three times in the AFC Championship Game that year. Law’s performance in the big games helped him enter the Hall of Fame in 2019.
5. Andre Tippett (1982-1993)
A decade before Seymour was doing damage as a pass rusher for the Patriots, Tippett did the same in New England. He was one of the NFL’s best pass rushers in the 1980s, recording at least 12.5 sacks in three seasons. His emergence helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl in 1985, recording 16.5 sacks that year. He was named a Pro Bowler five times and an All-Pro four times (three first-team), earning him a spot in the Hall of Fame in 2008.
4. Mike Haynes (1976-1982)
The law followed in Heinz’s footsteps in New England. Haynes began a lineage of great cornerbacks to play with the Patriots soon after the team drafted him in 1976, instantly becoming one of the best players at his position. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year that season while recording a career-high eight interceptions. He was also named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in all but one of his seven seasons in New England, which ended when the team opted to trade him to the Raiders in 1983. Haynes continued to play well with the Raiders, which helped. He became a Hall of Famer in 1997.
Three players who were arguably the best at their respective positions played most of their careers with the Patriots. Gronkowski made his case as the best tight end in NFL history during his nine seasons with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls and earning five Pro Bowl nods. His 2011 season was the best ever for a tight end, recording 90 receptions for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns that year. The 79 touchdown receptions he had in his New England career would be tied for sixth most. His 12 playoff touchdown receptions with the Patriots would also be tied for third most in NFL history, regardless of position.
2. John Hannah (1973-1985)
Often regarded by many analysts as the best guard in NFL history, Hannah was a nine-time Pro Bowler and 10-time All-Pro (seven first-team) during his illustrious career. He actually earned All-Pro honors in each of the final 10 seasons of his career, helping the Patriots to a playoff team in the late 1970s before reaching their first Super Bowl in his final season. In between those feats, Sports Illustrated named Hannah the “Greatest Offensive Lineman of All Time” as he graced the cover of an edition of their magazine.
There couldn’t have been anyone else who was number 1. Brady’s resume speaks for itself, winning six Super Bowls and three MVPs during his time with the Patriots. His induction as the team’s starting quarterback in 2001 immediately changed not only team history, but football history as well. New England, often one of the league’s laughingstocks for the first 40-plus seasons of its existence, became a dynasty in just four seasons as Brady’s starting quarterback. He, along with Bill Belichick, helped redefine success in the NFL as their six Super Bowls helped the Patriots match the Steelers for the most by a single franchise in just 18 seasons.
Honorable mention
Bruce Armstrong
Teddy Brucchi
Wes Welker
Julian Edelman
Adam Winatieri
Willie McGinst
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