After 50 full seasons of NFL play, most New Englanders know Patriots legends like John Hannah, Tom Brady, Andre Tippett and so on.
In honor of the 50 seasons past, here is a collection of the team’s 10 greatest offensive linemen ever, many of whom came to the field each week with far less fanfare than the current 5-1 model.
Quarterback- Tom Brady
Tom Brady for obvious reasons ever since the sixth round picks out of Michigan took over this franchise, he has led a once-helpless franchise to six Super Bowl titles and counting. He leads the franchise in wins, yards, touchdowns, completions, and quarterback rating (with over 100 attempts).
Runningback – Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin only played three seasons in New England before going to New York. Regardless, his pure talent and ability at runningback were so undeniable that leaving him off this list would make it incomplete.
Fullback- Jim Nance
Nance is only a little more than one hundred yards behind Cunningham for the leading spot on the Patriots’ all time rushing list. Yet, Nance has the most rushing touchdowns in New England history (45) in less games and on less carries than Cunningham.
Wide Receiver- Stanley Morgan
Morgan is firmly the number one guy in this all-time Patriots receiving corps. To this day, he is 2,491 receiving yards ahead of the second place guy (Rob Gronkowski) for career receiving yards among pass-catchers in team history.
Slot- Wes Welker
Wes Welker is the greatest slot receiver of all time. Welker revolutionized the way the slot receiver was used in the NFL. In his time with New England, Welker caught 672 passes for 7,459 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Tight End- Rob Gronkowski
He was the complete package at tight end. An unstoppable force in the passing game, hard to tackle, high football IQ and fabulous blocker.
Offensive Tackle- Matt Light
Brady’s longtime blindside protector deserves a spot on this list. Matt Light was a key part of the Patriots offense for 11 seasons. Light was also a two time All-Pro.
Offensive Guard- John Hannah
Hannah was taking freakishly large defensive linemen and demolishing them on a weekly basis. He was quick for his size and had textbook technique.
Center- Jon Morris
Jon Morris played 130 games for the Patriots. Morris also went to nine All-Star/Pro Bowl games in his career, and was the first Patriot to be named to one.
