Patriots owner Robert Kraft critical of team's drafting the last few seasons

The New England Patriots were uncharacteristically aggressive in free agency this year, spending a good deal of money to add new players in the hopes of avoiding last season's disappointing performance. Owner Robert Kraft seemed to acknowledge that the team's free-agency strategy was partially informed by their lack of results in the draft, as he said the Patriots haven't "done the greatest job" drafting the last few seasons.

"Really, the teams who draft well are the ones who will be consistently good," Kraft said. "I don't feel like we've done the greatest job the last few years and I really hope and believe I've seen a different approach this year."

New England was once considered one of the best teams in the entire league when it came to the draft, including grabbing Tom Brady in the sixth round in 2000. But over the last few seasons, the team has struggled to maintain that level of consistency, and many players the Patriots have drafted have failed to make any real impact on the field.

If the Patriots are able to return to form in this year's draft, that, combined with their free-agency spending spree, could potentially put them back in the playoff picture for the 2021 season.