2006 New England Patriots season
Round Overall Player Position College
1 21 Laurence Maroney Running back Minnesota
2 36 Chad Jackson Wide receiver Florida
3 86 David Thomas Tight end Texas
4 106 Garrett Mills Tight end Tulsa
4 118 Stephen Gostkowski Kicker Memphis
5 136 Ryan O'Callaghan Offensive tackle California
6 191 Jeremy Mincey Defensive end Florida
6 205 Dan Stevenson Offensive guard Notre Dame
6 206 Le Kevin Smith Defensive tackle Nebraska
7 229 Willie Andrews Safety Baylor
Offseason -- 2006 NFL Draft
Main article : 2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 New England Patriots season was the franchise's 37th season in the National Football League, the 47th overall and the 7th under head coach Bill Belichick. They finished with a 12-4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs. The Patriots entered the season without their two starting wide receivers from 2005; David Givens left in free agency while Deion Branch held out for a new contract before being traded in early September. Eventually replacing them with Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney, who was signed as a street free agent in October. Back-to-back losses in November ended the team's streak of 57 games without consecutive losses, three games shy of the NFL record. With a 12-4 record and their fourth straight division title, the Patriots entered the playoffs as the fourth seed, defeating the New York Jets in the Wild Card Playoffs. A close win over the top-seeded San Diego Chargers on the road set the Patriots up to face their rival Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship. Despite opening up a 21-3 lead, the Patriots stumbled down the stretch at the RCA Dome and the Colts emerged with a 38-34 victory. As of 2020, this is the last time that the Patriots won a Wild Card game.