Building a 20-0 all-time Patriots team

The easiest choice on this list is Brady, who won six Super Bowls and three NFL MVPs with the Pats before winning another title with the Buccaneers near the end of his career. He’s the GOAT, and nothing else needs to be said.

RB: Corey Dillon

This one could go a lot of different ways, but Dillon gets the edge for his 1,635-yard, 12-touchdown season in his first of three seasons with the Patriots in 2004. While his production fell off a bit after that before he retired, that dominant season which led to a Super Bowl gets him the nod here.

WR1: Randy Moss

Moss only played a little over three seasons with the Patriots, but he still earns the top spot on this list for one of the all-time great wide receiver seasons in 2007. During that campaign, Moss caught 98 balls for 1,493 yards and an astonishing 23 touchdowns before also leading the NFL with 13 touchdowns in 2009.

WR2: Wes Welker

Welker wasn’t the most physically imposing receiver, but the production is second to none. The shifty slot receiver has the five best seasons in Patriots history in terms of catches and three of the five best ever in terms of receiving yards. He was Tom Brady’s top target out of the slot for a long time and is a shoo-in on this list.

WR3: Stanley Morgan

Morgan played for the Patriots for 13 seasons from 1977-89 and is the all-time team leader in receiving yards with 10,716. He led the NFL in yards per reception three times and also paced the league in touchdown catches with 12 back in 1979. Julian Edelman nearly got this spot, but Morgan was a pillar of consistency for the Pats.

TE: Rob Gronkowski

Gronk is arguably the most dominant tight end in the history of the NFL, even if he doesn’t top the counting stats leaderboards due to his injuries. He and Brady formed one of the best combinations ever and Gronk finished his career with a whopping 92 touchdowns.

OT: Bruce Armstrong

Armstrong was a starter for most of his 13 years with the Patriots, making 212 starts at tackle during that time. He also started in a Super Bowl and reached six Pro Bowls, making him a steady presence on this squad.

OG: Logan Mankins

Mankins was named an All-Pro six times in his nine seasons with the Patriots and nearly won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2005 as a guard, showcasing just how strong of a player he was for the entirety of his New England tenure.

C: Jon Morris

Morris is one of the original Patriot greats, playing 11 years with the team from 1964-74. He made four All-Pro teams during that time and reached seven Pro Bowls in a row to start his career. Morris is the choice as the rock in the middle of this offensive line.

OG: John Hannah

The best offensive lineman in the history of the Patriots franchise played 13 years with the team and made an astonishing nine All-Pro teams. He is an easy pick for this team after dominating on the interior from 1973-85 with the Pats.

OT: Matt Light

Light only played 11 years in the NFL, but he was a starter in New England for the entirety of his career. During that time, Light made three Pro Bowls and a First Team All-Pro selection in 2007. Tom Brady’s blindside protector is the comfortable choice at tackle on this squad.

EDGE: Willie McGinest

McGinest made two Pro Bowls in his 12 seasons in New England, but that doesn’t do his production justice. He had 78 sacks and 79 tackles for loss during that time, winning three Super Bowls with the Pats.

DT1: Vince Wilfork

The undisputed Patriots GOAT at the defensive tackle position needs no introduction for New England fans, and he was an easy one to slot in on this list. Wilfork made five Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams during his 11 years with the Patriots and was the primary reason why Bill Belichick’s defenses were so hard to run on during the 2000s and early 2010s.

DT2: Richard Seymour

Seymour played some defensive end during his career as well, but we’ll slide him inside with a four-man front for the sake of this exercise. Seymour was a dominant force during the early part of the Patriots’ dynasty, making four All-Pro teams including three consecutive first-team selections.

EDGE: Andre Tippett

Tippett incredibly finished his career with 100 sacks in 11 years, including an 18.5-sack season in 1984 and 16.5 more sacks in 1985. Mike Vrabel could have been considered for this spot as well, but Tippett’s ability to get after the quarterback in the 1980s is what gets him the spot on this list.

LB1: Tedy Bruschi

Bruschi spent all 13 years of his NFL career, recording over 1,000 total tackles in that time and making two All-Pro teams. The heart and soul of the Patriots defense in the 2000s was a mainstay for Belichick on this side of the ball and is a strong choice as the first linebacker here.

LB2: Steve Nelson

Nelson played all 14 years of his career with the Patriots and made three Pro Bowls as a stalwart in the middle of the defense. There are a lot of good linebackers that have played in New England in recent years, but Nelson is one of the franchise’s OGs so he gets the nod here.

CB1: Ty Law

Law picked off 36 passes in 10 years with the Patriots, earning two All-Pro selections in the process. He led the league with nine picks in a spectacular 1998 season as one of the best shutdown corners in all of football. There are a lot of quality candidates, but Law is at the top of the pile for cornerbacks in Patriots history.

CB2: Asante Samuel

Samuel only played five years in New England, but he made an All-Pro team and picked up 22 interceptions in that time. He went on to have another few good years with the Eagles, but his shutdown ability was one of the min reasons why the Patriots’ defense was so productive from 2003-07.

SLOT: Stephon Gilmore

This was a tougher call, but Gilmore won a Defensive Player of the Year award and had a game-sealing interception in the Super Bowl during his four-year tenure with the Patriots. He was comfortably one of the best cornerbacks in the league during that time and that gets him the nod as the third cornerback on this team.

FS: Devin McCourty

McCourty is a Patriots legend who played 13 years at free safety and cornerback with the Patriots rom 2010-22. He was a three-time All-Pro, two of those after moving to safety, and finished his career with 35 interceptions as a three-time Super Bowl champion.

SS: Lawyer Milloy

Milloy was a physical force at strong safety, finishing his seven-year stint in New England with 19 interceptions and eight forced fumbles. During that stint, he made two All-Pro teams and four Pro Bowls. Rodney Harrison deserves a mention here, but Milloy is the choice.

K: Adam Vinatieri

This is an easy one. Vinatieri had a Hall of Fame career with the Patriots even before all of his great years with the Colts, earning a pair of All-Pro nods along with his two clutch game-winning kicks in the Super Bowl.

P: Jake Bailey

This is a pretty weak group of candidates here, but Bailey was solid for the Pats from 2019-22, pinning 45.9% of his punts inside the 20. For a team that traditionally hasn’t had to punt all that much over the years, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see that their investment in the position is pretty low.