Julian Edelman Details His Journey to New England

Veteran wideout Julian Edelman was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. The team got him with the 232^nd overall, and he became a key player for the team over the years. Edelman was part of Bill Belichick’s system for over a decade. He became the best player Belichick has ever coached.

Edelman helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls. He became one of the most productive pass-catchers in NFL postseason history.

His journey to Foxboro was different. Edelman became a NFL player without a clear position. He was a quarterback at Kent State and pretty much everything was on the table for him. Edelman talked about his journey to New England on NBC Sports’ Football Morning in America.

The 2018 Super Bowl MVP was getting workouts from teams and pretty much everyone liked him. But they all made different offers. The Pittsburgh Steelers wanted him to play safety and the Cleveland Browns tried several positions. New England wanted him to do running back drills. Ivan Fears put Edelman on the board to see if he knew protections. The wideout was making things up and he thought that the Patriots didn’t want him. Scotty O’Brien tested Edelman catching punts and kickoffs. Many NFL teams worked him out as a receiver. Chicago general manager Jerry Angelo told him they were getting him as a free agent. He also met with the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers. But the Patriots didn’t bring him in and didn’t call.

Julian Edelman arrived in New England for a reason

Edelman was undersized by traditional pro-level standards. The 2009 Draft was really quiet until the final round.

“So, in the draft, it’s the sixth round, and all of a sudden, a bunch of teams start calling. “Hey, we’re not going to draft you but we’ll give you 20 grand to come be a priority free agent.” We had probably four, five teams calling. Don Yee says, “You know, I think the best fit for you would be the Packers. If you don’t get drafted, we’ll go to the Packers.” He felt that this would be the best role for me. And then he also says, right before he hangs up, “New England did trade for another seventh-rounder. I wouldn’t be surprised but I don’t know.”

“Seventh round. All of a sudden I got a call from a 508 area code [Massachusetts]. I believe it was Bill Belichick’s assistant, Berj Najerian. “Hey Julian. I’m with New England. We’re gonna draft you. Here’s Coach Belichick.”

“I’m sitting there like I don’t know what to do. Bill Belichick! He gets on the phone and says, “Hey, Julian? Well, uh, you’re a hell of a football player. We don’t know what you’re gonna play but we’ll see you at Rookie Camp.” I’m like, “All right coach! I’ll see you!”

Getting Edelman was one of the best decisions Belichick has ever made in his career. Just a handful of round 7 picks have had similar careers. Edelman accomplished a lot in his football career.