The New England Patriots struck platinum when they drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft with the 199th overall pick. Todd Husak and JaJuan Seider — who? — went after Brady in that draft. So, how have those QBs chosen in the same round in the following years fared?
’01: Josh Booty, Josh Heupel
Josh Booty and Josh Heupel went to the Seahawks and Dolphins, respectively. In checking with Pro Football Reference, they combined for zero NFL stats. Zero.
’02: J.T. O’Sullivan, Steve Bellisari
J.T. O’Sullivan had a strange NFL career. He was with the Packers for a bi in 2004 and didn’t resurface again until 2007 with the Lions. He bounced to the Niners and Bengals in the following two years. He started 10 games for SF and went 2-8. Steve Bellisari was drafted by St. Louis and had no stats.
’03: Drew Henson, Brooks Bollinger, Kliff Kingsbury
Two big names resonate from this list. Drew Henson spent time with Tom Brady at Michigan. He chose baseball over football and wound up back in the NFL. Henson won his lone start, which came as a Dallas Cowboy. He played in two games as a Lion years later. Kliff Kingsbury is coach of the Arizona Cardinals. He came out of Texas Tech with giant stats. They didn’t transition to the pros, where he played in one game for the Jets. Brooks Bollinger was 2-8 in a career that saw him play for three teams.
’04: Josh Harris, Jim Smorgi, Jeff Smoker
Jim Sorgi was a backup in Indy for six years. He threw 156 passes and did not make a start. No NFL numbers for the Jeff Smoker (pictured) and Josh Harris.
’05: Derek Anderson
Derek Anderson is a journeyman’s journeyman. He has played for four teams and started two games for the Bills in ’18.
’06: Reggie McNeal, Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Gradkowski was with five teams from 2006-2014. He made 20 starts and went 6-14. Reggie McNeal had one rush for seven yards as a Bengal in ’06.
’07: Jordan Palmer
Jordan Palmer had a stranger career. He shows up on rosters in 2008, ’10, ’12 and ’14. Must be an even-handed guy. Overall, he played in five games and threw two picks.
’08: Colt Brennan, Andre Woodson
Colt Brennan was similar to Kliff Kingsbury. A guy with pinball numbers in college. His came at Hawaii. They did not translate to Sundays. Neither did Andre Woodson, who was drafted by the Giants out of Kentucky.
’09: Tom Brandstater, Mike Teel, Keith Null, Curtis Painter
The best known of this quartet was Curtis Painter. He had an odd career, as in being on rosters in ’09, ’11 and ’13. The numbers were not kind as Painter was 0-8 as a starter for the Colts in 2011. Those were all the starts he made in the NFL. The only other player with stats was Tom Brandstater, who went 0-for-2 as a St. Louis Ram in ’11.
’10: Rusty Smith, Dan LeFevour, Tony Pike
Rusty Smith made one start for Tennessee in ’10. He lost and his career numbers show four picks against 0 TDs. Tony Pike threw 12 passes for Carolina in the same year. Dan LeFevour had greater success in the CFL.
’11: Tyrod Taylor
Finally, a quarterback who made it with some numbers to write about. Tyrod Taylor has played for the Ravens, Bills and Browns. He boasts a 23-21-1 lifetime record as a starter with 9,500 yards passing and 1,800 yards rushing. He was relegated to the bench when Baker Mayfield took over last season in Cleveland.
’12: Ryan Lindley
Ryan Lindley was 1-5 as a starter in the NFL. He threw 11 picks against three TDs in a career that saw him with Arizona, San Diego and Indianapolis.
’14: Zach Mettenberger, David Fales, Keith Wenning, Tajh Boyd, Garrett Gilbert
The player worth mentioning here is Garrett Gilbert, who is on his way to becoming the Tom Brady of the AAF. Zach Mettenberger is also in the same league.
’16: Nate Sudfeld, Jake Rudock, Brandon Allen, Jeff Driskel
Jeff Driskel went from Florida to Louisiana Tech to the NFL. He filled in when Andy Dalton was injured in 2018. Nate Sudfeld has a Super Bowl ring. He achieved it when the Eagles defeated the Patriots — and Tom Brady — in Super Bowl LII.
’17: Brad Kaaya
Brad Kaaya has yet to play in the NFL. He’s with the Bengals after being chosen by the Lions out of Miami.
’18: Luke Falk, Tanner Lee
Luke Falk is a Miami Dolphin after being chosen by the Tennessee Titans. Tanner Lee is also in the Sunshine State, as a Jacksonville Jaguar.
