Ernie Adams Personally Made Final Patriots Draft Pick

Ernie Adams took part in the final draft with the New England Patriots and the team let him make the final pick.

Adams decided to select wide receiver Tre Nixon in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. If he becomes an impact player with the team, you should definitely thank Adams for his selection.

Head coach Bill Belichick allowed Adams to choose the final pick in the draft. Adams is the Patriots’ longtime football research director.

This draft was the last of his career with the team. He is retiring at 68. Adams joined the Patriots in 1975 and took part in many franchise-altering roster moves.

Before the final selection, coach Belichick lauded Adams’ career achievement.

“I just want to take a moment to recognize Ernie,” said Belichick. “We’ll do this at a more formal time later, but Ernie’s career, especially in the draft room, is legendary. It started in 1976 through all the great players with the Patriots. …

“Ernie, I just want to thank you. As your final draft in the final round, as we go to the final pick, it’s yours. Thank you for all of your contributions, not only here but to the game and to the process of scouting.”

Belichick let Ernie Adams make the final Patriots pick for a reason

Coach B met Adams at Phillips Academy in 1970 and worked with him with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns.

Belichick also said that Adams “literally wrote the book on scouting.”

“The grading scale, the lettering, the numbering, the different classifications of players, the report writing, critical factors — he’s been a part of all that for really four decades,” Belichick said. “So his impact on not only the scouting for me personally in this organization, but honestly through all the people who have been here and left here, as well as obviously some of the acquisition of some of the great players in this organization and some of the championships that have eventually come with them.”

The Patriots head coach also rattled off some of these players: Patriots Hall of Famers Mike Haynes and Stanley Morgan, former Giants stars Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks, the Canton-bound Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, and David Givens.

“He was given a stack of books, and he pulled David Givens out, and that was a pretty good pick,” Belichick said.