The New England Patriots made 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. 11 new players means 11 jersey numbers to be assigned. However, the Patriots gave away a franchise legend's number to a rookie.
The Patriots drafted wide receiver Kyle Williams from Washington State University in the third round of the draft. Williams wore No.2 in college, but Harold Landry III has that number right now. Williams was assigned No.18, which once belonged to legendary special teams player Matthew Slater.
Slater was a 10-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and a three-time Super Bowl champion. He played 16 seasons with the Patriots. While he was listed as a receiver, he had just 46 receiving yards in his career and no receiving touchdowns.
Slater played 3,569 special teams snaps in his career and was an underrated piece of the Patriots dynasty. In addition to his two First-Team All-Pro selections, he also had three Second-Team All-Pro selections. While his number is not returned, many fans feel that it should not be worn.
Slater retired in 2023. However, the Patriots dynasty featured many great players and they cannot make all of them untouchable. Tom Brady's No.12 will be retired eventually and has been deemed untouchable by owner Robert Kraft.
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However, Julian Edelman's No.11 is being worn by Joshua Dobbs. Rob Gronkowski's No.87 is being worn by Jack Westover now. It's simply impossible for the Patriots to retire all of the great numbers from their best years. Slater has a strong case as a player whose jersey should be retired. He was a key player for the team, was highly decorated and spent his entire career with the team.
Williams had 1,198 yards last season and 14 touchdowns. He has a chance to represent the number well and emerge as one of Drake Maye's top targets.
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