Stephon Gilmore is no Tom Brady or Julian Edelman. But the New England Patriots cornerback still has enjoyed a successful NFL career despite taking a different path.
Unlike Brady (sixth-round pick in 2000) and Edelman (seventh-round pick in 2009), Gilmore went 12th overall to the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 NFL Draft.
You might think it's harder for unheralded prospects like Brady or Edelman to make it big in the NFL, but in a tweet Thursday ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, Gilmore offered a different perspective.
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Gilmore has dealt with the high expectations of a top draft pick his entire career. Those expectations can take their toll, too: Just look at the No. 2 pick in that 2012 draft, Trent Richardson, who flamed out after three disappointing seasons.
But Gilmore indeed has been "balling" over the past nine seasons. While he didn't blossom into a truly elite player until joining the Patriots in 2017, the South Carolina product has played in 124 of a possible 144 games since entering the league. He's made four Pro Bowls, won a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019 and joins Ryan Tannehill as the only two top-10 picks in 2012 who are currently on an NFL roster.
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It's still unclear whether Gilmore is on the Patriots' roster come Week 1: He's entering the final year of his contract and is due for a contract extension ... or a possible trade this weekend if New England doesn't feel like it can get a deal done.
But even if Gilmore has played his last game for the Patriots, the 30-year-old has certainly proven he's gotten "out of the mud."