The New England Patriots should consider drafting some wide receiver talent for the new decade of their franchise starting this season.
The New England Patriots are able and willing to do something this offseason that they haven’t really done so much of in the last 20 years, which is scout and target wide receivers in the middle to lower end of the NFL Draft.
Due to Tom Brady and his expectations of playing with experienced veterans, the Patriots have never really been a team who goes all in on some of these young and talented players who seem to be continuously coming out of the draft younger and more talented each year.
Now that Brady is no longer with the Patriots, the team finally has a chance to draft and develop young offensive skilled position players, and with Jarrett Stidham appearing to be under center this year, there’s a strong chance that the route trees and timing patterns are going to look much different than what the franchise has been accustomed to for the better part of 20 years.
With this type of logic, it would make sense for the Patriots to bring in young talent that they can develop and start to give Stidham some weapons in his arsenal. If there’s anything we learned from Brady, it’s that you don’t need top of the draft, grade A talent to run a successful offense.
In April’s upcoming draft, the New England Patriots will hold 16 picks, with one being in the first-round and zero in the second. It’s fair to say the New England Patriots will once again be doing most of their work in the middle of the draft and should target some wide receivers along the way.
These four wide receivers should be available at most times during the draft, but don’t be surprised if they get selected earlier than you may think.
K.J. Osborn
K.J. Osborn is a versatile receiver coming out of the University of Miami who can line up and fit well in any NFL formation.
Osborn is 5’11”, 203 lbs, and can make an immediate impact to any team’s receiving group. After a solid combine, Osborn is projected to be selected within the fourth and sixth rounds of the draft this year.
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Osborn has proved to be one of the strongest receivers in this year’s class. He finished his college career with 146 receptions while averaging 14 yards per catch for 2,037 yards and 17 touchdowns in 46 games. It’s worth mentioning that K.J. Osborn started his college career as a red-shirt freshman playing for Buffalo before transferring to Miami for his senior season.
While at Miami last year, Osborn showcased himself to be a “wild card” type of receiver. He is a receiver that is not afraid of contact and will go up over a defender to make a catch. Osborn’s physical attributes make him interchangeable from lining up on or off the line. K.J. Osborn has also been effective as a returner, making him even more of a weapon in the NFL.
K.J. Hill
Although the New England Patriots drafted N’Keal Harry last year in the first round, they still need another player who can help stretch the field and take some of the attention from the aging Julian Edelman.
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There is a chance for the Patriots to land K.J. Hill in the fourth round, which would be both a steal and a great addition to the team’s rebuilding wide receiver group.
To start, Hill finished his college career at Ohio State with 201 receptions for 2,332 yards and 20 touchdowns. While finishing three straight years (2017-2019) of being in the top-ten for the most receptions in the Big Ten, Hill’s 201 receptions are the most in the history of the team.
He is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the draft. For him to fall into the fourth-round would be a dream come true scenario for the retooling Patriots receiving group.
K.J. Hill is a great route runner and understands how to separate himself from the defense, which has created many winning plays for Hill throughout his career thus far. He has the footwork, along with a versatile route tree, to be a quality receiver in the NFL.
Due to the depth of this year’s draft class, Hill’s stock has fallen just low enough where the New England Patriots could make a potential selection to upgrade their receiving group.
Devin Duvernay
Devin Duvernay is one of the more legitimate slot receivers coming out of this year’s draft. He finished his college career with the Texas Longhorns with 176 receptions averaging 14 yards per catch for 2,468 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Duvernay is the real deal and finished the 2019 season as a top-three wide receiver in the NCAA.
Duvernay became a team captain and the go-to-guy while playing in Texas. In 2019, Duvernay produced his best season and recorded 106 receptions for 1,386 yards in 13 games.
In a pass-happy spread offense like Texas, Devin Duvernay excelled in many of the same opportunities that a typical NFL slot receiver sees on a weekly basis. He is equipped with the speed and footwork to be a successful slot receiver in the NFL.
At 5’10”, 200 lbs, Duvernay has a solid frame and is built to handle the duties of a slot receiver in the NFL. He is incredibly poised and has gained plenty of experience over his four years at Texas, including playing in four Bowl games along the way.
Devin Duvernay has all of the makings and qualities of being an immediate contributor to a team needing to upgrade their receiving group.
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Duvernay is more than likely going to last at least four rounds in the draft before a team selects the strong and shifty receiver. Don’t be surprised if the New England Patriots become intrigued with Duvernay and decide to pull the trigger on bringing him in.
Isaiah Coulter
Isaiah Coulter has already been in contact with a few NFL teams after his combine. Coming out of Rhode Island, Coulter is a big 6’2”, 198 lbs, and poised to be a threat in the NFL.
Coulter’s size, along with his speed, will be a great addition to any offense in the league. His height will also make it more challenging for most cornerback’s to match up with.
Isaiah Coulter finished his three-year career at URI playing in every game since he was a freshman and totaled 132 receptions averaging 14.1 yards per catch for 1,855 yards and 12 touchdowns. He finished 2019 with 72 receptions for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns while also earning second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors.
While at Rhode Island, Isaiah Coulter made plays all over the field, but what is so valuable about him is his unique ability to use his size and length to his advantage. Coulter has seven 100-yard receiving games throughout his career and has the skills to stretch the field, catch in-stride over the shoulder passes, and become a red zone target in the NFL.
In a recent interview with Yianni Kourakis of WPRI12, Coulter expressed that after his impressive combine results, that he has been in contact with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the New Orleans Saints. He is projected to be taken in between the fourth and sixth rounds.