Patriots latest decision is a word of caution for any team hiring Bill Belichick

Before last season ended, it was a foregone conclusion that Bill Belichick would be out as the New England Patriots head coach. It felt like a mater of when, not if, another team would hire Belichick as their head coach. After all, he did win six Super Bowl titles with the Patriots and two as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. The Atlanta Falcons felt like the landing spot for Belichick, and it seemed to be trending in the right direction, only for the team to pivot to Raheem Morris.

So, Belichick is now on a media tour with various gigs, with the expectation being that he will land a job on the sidelines in 2025. But, the Patriots indirectly provided a word of caution for teams potentially interested in hiring Belichick.

On Saturday, the Patriots released 2022 second-round NFL Draft pick and wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. It's important to note that Belichick was in charge of player personnel and had say in who the team drafted. Belichick's 2022 class? It may be one of the worst in recent memory.

Patriots release Bill Belichick's 2022 second-round selection Tyquan Thornton

Belichick has been known for going away from the consensus in terms of where to draft players. The head coach saw a player he liked in college, and would draft them much higher than anyone expected. Thornton was the consensus 155th overall prospect in that year's class even with his speed. Belichick and the Patriots selected him with the 50th overall pick, as NBC Sports' Connor Rogers points out.

Thornton was a speedy wide receiver for the Baylor Bears. Considering he ran a 4.28 second 40-yard dash, Belichick was enticed enough to feel he could be a top receiving threat in the Patriots' passing game. Well, that never happened.

In his rookie season, Thornton started in nine of 13 games, but hauled in just 22-of-45 targets for 247 yards and two touchdowns. From there, the starts became few and far between. In 2023, Thornton started in three of nine games, hauling in 13-of-23 targets for 91 yards. This season? Just one of six games, hauling in four passes for 47 yards on eight targets.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer points out just how poorly the Patriots' 2022 class panned out. Of the 10 selections, only two remain — offensive guard Cole Strange and cornerback and punt returner Marcus Jones. As Breer points out, Strange is considered one of Belichick's worst first-round picks as head coach of the Patriots.

While yes, Belichick is one of the brightest minds in football history, his recent draft history has been hit or miss. That 2022 class, however, was one gigantic miss. If a team is interested in hiring Belichick to be their next head coach, they have to be wary of his recent draft history and have a solid scouting and front office plan in place.