Patriots Bill Belichick admits Patriots not drafting Lamar Jackson was a mistake in upcoming book The Patriots passed on Jackson twice in the 2018 NFL Draft before the Ravens selected the eventual two-time MVP. Bill Belichick wishes he got to coach the quarterback that John Harbaugh has worked with over the last seven seasons. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
Bill Belichick’s 24 seasons as the Patriots’ head coach were mostly filled with positives, winning six Super Bowls and playing in nine of them. But the two dozen years he had in New England weren’t all perfect, making some mistakes along the way.
The former Patriots head coach admitted to some of those mistakes in his upcoming book, “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football.” Belichick dedicated a chapter in his upcoming book to the mistakes he’s made in his coaching career, with the two most notable admissions being the Patriots’ decision not to draft Lamar Jackson in 2018 and being unable to keep Tom Brady due to financial reasons, according to The Boston Globe‘s Ben Volin.
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New England’s decision not to select Jackson in the first round of the 2018 draft seems like an obvious mistake years later. The Patriots passed on a quarterback who would become a two-time MVP twice, selecting offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn with the No. 23 overall pick and running back Sony Michel at No. 31. The Ravens traded up with the Eagles to get the No. 32 pick and select Jackson.
At the time, there was some debate over whether the Patriots should select a quarterback. There were rumors that they had their eyes set on a possible trade up to get Baker Mayfield and they hosted Jackson for a visit before the draft. Tom Brady was also set to turn 41 soon, with his contract situation remaining in flux over the next couple of offseasons.