The last decade was an enormously successful one for the New England Patriots, and we're seeing evidence of that in the recent All-Decade team unveilings.
Analytics website Pro Football Focus just completed their top 101 players from the 2010s, and 10 players who played in at least one game for the Patriots made the ranking.
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Tom Brady was PFF's No. 1 player from the previous decade, which obviously isn't a huge surprise. The former Patriots quarterback won three Super Bowl titles, two Super Bowl MVPs, two league MVPs, broke several league records and posted incredible stats.
Here's part of PFF writer Sam Monson's explanation for Brady being in the top spot:
Brady owns the highest single-season grade PFF has ever given to a quarterback for his 2016 season, and his four-year stretch of play from 2015-18 was the greatest four-year run of play we have seen at the position. Brady defines clutch — in the fourth quarter and overtime, he still has the highest PFF grade of the decade.
The next-highest ranked Patriots player is Rob Gronkowski at No. 5. Gronk played for the Patriots from 2010 through 2018 and built a résumé that many people would argue makes him the greatest tight end in league history.
New England Patriots
Here are the other eight players with Patriots ties who made PFF's rankings of the best 101 players from the 2010s decade:
13. Antonio Brown, WR (2019)
23. Darrelle Revis, CB (2014)
26. Devin McCourty, S (2010-present)
74. DE Michael Bennett (2019)
76. Stephon Gilmore, CB (2017-present)
80. Chandler Jones, DE (2012-15)
85. CB Aqib Talib, CB (2012-13)
95. James Harrison, LB (2017)
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It's nice to see Devin McCourty ranked so high. He's always been one of the league's most underrated defensive players, and his consistency has been a valuable component of several championship defenses in New England. McCourty did not make the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade team earlier this year.
One snub on PFF's list was former Patriots left guard Logan Mankins, who did make made the Pro Football HOF's All-Decade team. Five of Mankins' seven Pro Bowl selections came in the 2010s, and he was among the league's best interior offensive linemen throughout his career.
Overall, Patriots fans should be pretty pleased with these lists. The 2010s was an awesome decade to be a Patriots fan, but the future is very much uncertain. Brady and Gronkowski are gone, leaving the door open for other players to emerge as the franchise's marquee stars.