5 NFL wide receiver prospects New England Patriots must draft

Why the New England Patriots must draft Tre Turner, Virginia Tech

Tre Turner barely made the cut because of his inauspicious combine performance. His 7.45 seconds time on the three cone drill was dead last and his 4.53 seconds on the 20-yard shuttle was third from last. What saved Turner was his 4.51-second 40. So the good news is he has acceptable speed, but is slow out of his breaks.

So the chances of Turner burning his defender and getting wide open aren’t very good, but if the ball still comes his way, Turner still has a great chance at catching the ball.

Simply put, Turner could be what N’Keal Harry should had been because Turner is very good at making difficult catches. He could have a corner draped all over his back, know he’s about to get hit, or can only get one hand on the ball. Turner often still makes the catch. Even on jump balls, Turner often comes down with the pigskin, despite his disappointing 27” vertical.

Turner’s future probably isn’t a go-to receiver, but when the offense needs a play, Turner could be the guy Jones goes to in critical situations. Turner’s skills could be most valuable in the red zone. If the New England Patriots were to take a chance on Turner, he should be available on day three.