This year's draft will mark the first time since 1974 that the Patriots will not have a first round selection. In 1974, The Patriots selected guard Steve Corbett with the 30th pick in the draft.
While the Patriots will not select until the 46th position, it will not be their lowest first pick. In 1972, they did not select until the 49th position. That year, they selected wide receiver Tom Reynolds.
The Patriots' first draft choices since the AFL/NFL drafting merger in 1967 are listed below:
| Year | Player | Selection | Pos | School |
| 1999a | Damien Woody | 17 | C | Boston College |
| 1999b | Andy Katzenmoyer | 28 | LB | Ohio State |
| 1998a | Robert Edwards | 18 | RB | Georgia |
| 1998b | Tebucky Jones | 22 | DB | Syracuse |
| 1997 | Chris Canty | 29 | CB | Kansas State |
| 1996 | Terry Glenn | 7 | WR | Ohio State |
| 1995 | Ty Law | 23 | CB | Michigan |
| 1994 | Willie McGinest | 4 | LB | Southern California |
| 1993 | Drew Bledsoe | 1 | QB | Washington State |
| 1992 | Eugene Chung | 13 | G | Virginia Tech |
| 1991a | Pat Harlow | 11 | T | Southern California |
| 1991b | Leonard Russell | 14 | RB | Arizona State |
| 1990a | Chris Singleton | 8 | LB | Arizona |
| 1990b | Ray Agnew | 10 | DE | N.C. State |
| 1989 | Hart Lee Dykes | 16 | WR | Oklahoma State |
| 1988 | John Stephens | 17 | RB | Northwestern |
| 1987 | Bruce Armstrong | 23 | T | Louisville |
| 1986 | Reggie Dupard | 26 | RB | Southern Methodist |
| 1985 | Trevor Matich | 28 | C | BYU |
| 1984 | Irving Fryar | 1 | WRs | Nebraska |
| 1983 | Tony Eason | 15 | QB | Illinois |
| 1982 | Ken Sims | 1 | DE | Texas |
| 1981 | Brian Holloway | 19 | OT | Stanford |
| 1980a | Roland James | 14 | DB | Tennessee |
| 1980b | Vegas Ferguson | 25 | RB | Notre Dame |
| Year | Player | Selection | Pos | School |
| 1978 | Bob Cryder | 18 | G | Alabama |
| 1977a | Raymond Clayborn | 16 | DB | Texas |
| 1977b | Stanley Morgan | 25 | WR | Tennessee |
| 1976a | Mike Haynes | 5 | DB | Arizona State |
| 1976b | Pete Brock | 12 | C | Colorado |
| 1976c | Tim Fox | 21 | DB | Ohio State |
| 1975 | Russ Francis | 16 | TE | Oregon |
| 1974 | Steve Corbett | 30 | G | Boston College |
| 1973a | John Hannah | 4 | G | Alabama |
| 1973b | Sam Cunningham | 11 | RB | Southern California |
| 1973c | Darryl Stingley | 19 | WR | Purdue |
| 1972 | Tom Reynolds | 49 | WR | San Diego State |
| 1971 | Jim Plunkettr | 1 | QB | Stanford |
| 1970 | Phil Olsen | 4 | DT | Utah State |
| 1969 | Ron Sellers | 6 | SE | Florida State |
| 1968 | Dennis Byrd | 6 | DT | North Carolina State |
| 1967 | John Charles | 21 | DB | Purdue |
| * second-round selection bold = current player |
In the past 33 NFL Drafts, the Patriots have selected more offensive linemen (9) with their first selection than any other position, including center Damien Woody last year. Below is a list of the positions which have been most frequently relied upon with their first selection. The number in parenthesis represents the number of players by position drafted in the first round.
| 9 - Offensive Lineman (9) 7 - Defensive Backs (9) 5 - Wide Receivers (6) 3 - Running Backs (6) 3 - Defensive Lineman (4) 3 - Quarterbacks (3) 2 - Linebackers (3) 1 - Tight Ends (1) |
The National Football League announced the names of 26 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2000 NFL Draft on April 15-16.
All of the 26 players have been out of high school for at least three seasons and have submitted a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility. The deadline for receiving applications was January 10.
The players who have been declared eligible are listed below:
| **Name** | **Pos** | **College** |
| Arrington, LaVar | LB | Penn State |
| Brooks, Rodregis | DB | Alabama-Birmingham |
| Burress, Plaxico | WR | Michigan State |
| Cavil, Kwame | WR | Texas |
| Charlton, Ike | DB | Virginia Tech |
| Coleman, Cosey | G | Tennessee |
| Dennis, Patrick | DB | Louisiana-Monroe |
| Diggs, Na'il | LB | Ohio State |
| Dunlap, Jeffrey | DT | Auburn |
| Franks, Daniel | TE | Miami |
| Grant, Deon | DB | Tennessee |
| Herring, Bud | LB | Louisville |
| Jackson, Darrell | WR | Florida |
| Jackson, Keith | DT | Cheyney, Pa. |
| Janikowski, Sebastian | K | Florida State |
| Jenkins, Ronney | RB | Northern Arizona |
| Kelly, Ben | DB | Colorado |
| Lewis, Jamal | RB | Tennessee |
| McDonald, Tariq | WR | Arizona State |
| Sanders, Lewis | DB | Maryland |
| Shepherd, Jacoby | DB | Oklahoma State |
| Smith, Marvel | T | Arizona State |
| Stith, Shyrone | RB | Virginia Tech |
| Taylor, Travis | WR | Florida |
| Thompson, Hubert | DE | Michigan State |
| White, Dez | WR | Georgia Tech |
