Rob Gronkowski had a storied career with the New England Patriots, helping the team win three Super Bowls. That level of success might not have happened if another team stuck with their initial draft plans or the Patriots had gone along with a plan to acquire another tight end.
Gronkowski, co-host of the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast with his former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman, said in a May 1 episode that the Baltimore Ravens were very high on him and nearly drafted him in 2010.
“The Baltimore Ravens were going to pick me—I think it was the 25th pick in the draft—but then the Denver Broncos and Patriots coach Josh McDaniels swooped in and negotiated a trade with the Ravens. The Broncos selected Tim Tebow, which bumped me from the first round. The Ravens ended up with the 43rd pick, but the Patriots got a sniff of it and traded up one spot to 42, where I was ultimately drafted,” Gronkowski said.
Gronkowski also said he heard that if the Patriots had not selected him, they would have traded tight end Greg Olsen that day for a draft pick. Olsen was eventually traded to the Carolina Panthers and would have a very good career there, making three Pro Bowls and helping them win an NFC championship.
Gronkowski and quarterback Tom Brady had great chemistry with the Patriots. Over nine seasons, Gronkowski caught 521 passes for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. They later reunited with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, where Gronkowski helped the team win Super Bowl LV.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.