:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/15208019/20121230_ajl_sv3_185.0.jpg)
With the 15th pick of the 4th round of the NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected TE Aaron Hernandez. With the 16th pick in that same draft the Baltimore Ravens selected Dennis Pitta. In the 2nd round of that same draft the New England Patriots landed Rob Gronkowski just one pick before the Ravens selected Sergio Kindle.
Todd Heap's career in Baltimore was winding down and we were searching for a replacement. Both Hernandez and Gronkowski were taken just in front of the Ravens and after the 2011 season it looked like the tandem of Gronkowski and Hernandez was unstoppable. Pitta had a decent season as well as Ed Dickson but Gronkowski alone outproduced the two Ravens tight ends. Gronkowski was a physical freak who was too fast to be covered by linebackers and too big to be covered by safetys. Hernandez was versatile and at times would line up in the backfield or in the slot.
Just a few years later it looks like the combination of Pitta and Dickson is the better of the two. Gronkowski has been fighting injury and infection since he broke his forearm and Hernandez is just entering a legal situation that may drag out and affect his future in the NFL. I am not implying guilt or judging Hernandez before the legal system does its job because Ray Lewis had a situation very similar to this. However in today's NFL you don't need to be guilty to be suspended, just ask Ben Roethlisberger.
The point is that in the NFL scouting and hard work can only get you so far, sometimes you just have to get lucky to get to where you want to go and the 2010 NFL Draft is just one example of that.