With the NFL Draft, that rings true at times. For the Patriots, the pre-draft process is a year in the making. Scouts start preparing for the next draft immediately after one ends. From practices to games, they gather intel on each draft-worthy player.

Then comes the offseason, during which prospects are put on display at various All-Star events, such as the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. Then, there are Pro Days, private workouts, virtual meetings and official pre-draft visits with each club.

This leads to the Patriots creating their draft board and ultimately selecting their players.

Every year, the team meets with hundreds of prospects leading up to the draft. Every year, they’ll select a handful of these players connected with the Patriots. Last year, Will Campbell, Kyle Williams, Joshua Farmer, and Andy Borregales were well-connected to the team.

This year, we’ve compiled a list of 152 prospects connected to the Patriots and ordered them by position and draft projection. Here’s a look:

Cole Payton, North Dakota State (Pro Day) - Round 4

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (Virtual meetings) - Round 7

Joe Fagnano, UConn (Pro Day, Local Visit) - Round 7

Brady Olson, Central Connecticut (Local Pro Day) - UDFA

Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas (Combine, Pro Day) - Round 3

Kejon Owens, Florida International (Senior Bowl) - UDFA

Jordon Vaughn, Abilene Christian (College Gridiron Showcase) - UDFA

RB Jordan McDonald, Boston College (Local Pro Day) - UDFA

Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State (Vrabel at Pro Day) - Round 1

K.C. Concepcion, Texas A&M (30 visit) - Round 1-2

De’Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss (30 visit) - Round 2-3

Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri (Wolf at Pro Day) - Round 5-6

J. Michael Sturdivant, Florida (East-West Shrine Bowl) - Round 6

Lewis Bond, Boston College (Senior Bowl, Pro Day/Vrabel) - Round 7

Emmanuel Henderson, Kansas (East-West Shrine Bowl) - Round 7