10 greatest New England Patriots of all time

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: A detail as Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots communicates a play at the line of scrimmage in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

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FOXBORO, MA – AUGUST 20: Richard Seymour #93 of the New England Patriots rushes the quarterback against Kyle Cook #64 of the Cincinnati Bengals during their preseason game at Gillette Stadium on August 20, 2009 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

5. DT Richard Seymour

It’s likely just a matter of time before he winds up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2001, the New England Patriots used the seventh-overall pick to grab University of Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour.

Seymour wasted little time making an impression on a team that was destined to win an NFL championship that year. He made 10 starts for Bill Belichick’s team and two more in the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XXXVI, respectively.

The versatile defender could play anywhere on the line and his steady play earned him five consecutive Pro Bowl invitations while being named All-Pro three straight years from 2003-05. In eight seasons in Foxborough, Seymour accumulated 39 sacks and also knocked down 39 passes.

There were eight fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions as well as four forced fumbles. And the 12-year pro, who was dealt to the Oakland Raiders in 2009 and spent his final four seasons in the league with the Silver and Black, was even know to line up on offense as a blocking fullback (via ESPN).

The Patriots’ first three Super Bowl titles (XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX) were in large part attributed to the play of their defense and special teams and Seymour was a huge part of that success.

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