New England Patriots 2020 NFL Draft: 7-round mock draft wish list
Third round pick, No. 98 – James Proche, wide receiver, SMU
The New England Patriots are desperate for productive wide receivers. Outside of Julian Edelman, they don’t have any. Speed would be nice, but more important is someone who can just catch the ball. Production, man! In Proche, that’s what they’ll get.
Julian Edelman had 100 catches last season and the next closest receiver was free agent departure Phillip Dorsett, with a mere 29. Not good enough, folks. Not nearly good enough.
So here’s Proche. How’s this look, according to NFL.com,
"Proche helped the Mustangs achieve a 10-win season in 2019, again earning first-team all-conference accolades after starting all 13 games, tying for the national lead with 111 receptions (1,225 yards, 11.0 yards per catch), ranking in the top five with 15 scores and returning punts (17 returns for 164 yards and an average of 9.6 yards)."
Early reports out of the Senior Bowl indicated according to NESN that, “Patriots Scouts Were ‘Gushing Over’ James Proche At Senior Bowl”. I usually take such reports with the proverbial “grain of salt’ looking at them as smokescreens or the Patriots trying to bait another club into taking him before they pick in the draft. By maybe not this time.
James Proche could replace Julian Edelman. light. Related Story
According to NFL.com, Proche’s measurables are that he’s 5’11” inches tall at 201 pounds. Not special. But that’s about Julian Edelman‘s size. He’s done OK. But it’s the production that’s the clincher for me with Proche. He catches the ball – a lot. And not only do the Patriots need tight ends who can do the same, but they also need a wideout who can complement Julian Edelman with catches, not promise.
I’m not sold on either N’Keal Harry or Jacobi Meyers who had 38 catches between them in 2019. This is the year they need to step up. But, Proche provides a guy who just flat-out catches the ball. NFL.com says he “has extraordinary ball skills” and “is an alpha with ball tracking, body control and razor-sharp focus, which makes him the favorite in contested-catch battles downfield.”
Proche sounds like a great fit for the pass-catching starved Patriots offense. Without No. 12, they will more than ever need talent at wide receiver and Proche can likely contribute immediately to that need for production.