Bill Belichick names Giants great that was the 'one exception' to his rookie rule
Bill Belichick praised New York Giants great Lawrence Taylor on Wednesday, saying he was the one exception to his rookie rule.
For the first time in a long time, veteran NFL head coach Bill Belichick will be observing the draft from the sidelines, or rather, the broadcast booth.
On Wednesday, former NFL kicker Pat McCafee announced on "The Pat McAfee Show" that the former longtime New England Patriots coach would co-host their draft special airing next week on ESPN+.
Belichick, who famously served as both coach and general manager, gave viewers on Wednesday an insight into what his commentary in Detroit will look like.
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Discussing how he would grade draft picks, Belichick explained that in his experience, he judged whether a player would be considered a bust or not within one to two years into their NFL career.
"Brady didn’t play his rookie year," he said. "You judge Tom Brady after his first year and you have literally nothing. You’re talking about the greatest player that’s ever played."
However, Belichick did have one exception – New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor.
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"Lawrence Taylor was a different story. Lawrence Taylor from day one impacted the team, showed he was the best player on the field, way better than everyone else and [we] built a defense around him from that point going forward."
He continued, "It’s usually not day one of his rookie year. I would say Lawrence Taylor would be the one exception to that rule."
Taylor, the second overall pick in the 1981 draft, wasted no time in becoming an NFL superstar. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Taylor was named Defensive Player of the Year three times, including in 1986, when he was also named league MVP.
He led the league in sacks that year and finished his career as an eight-time First-Team All Pro with 10 Pro Bowl nods.
Belichick’s praise of the Giants great comes amid reports of a possible reunion. He was an assistant coach for the Giants from 1979 to 1990 under Ray Perkins and Bill Parcells before he took over as the Cleveland Browns head coach in 1991.
After not landing a job following his departure from New England, Belichick has not said if he is stepping away from coaching for good.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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