5 wide receivers New England Patriots could take in the 2022 NFL Draft
New England Patriots draft target No. 4: John Metchie III
Sticking with Alabama players for now, John Metchie III is another player who has been heavily linked to the New England Patriots throughout the draft process. He’s met with the Patriots coaching staff on a couple of occasions, and he’s another player who could benefit from the Alabama/New England pipeline that has emerged in the draft recently.
Metchie put together his best collegiate season in 2021 despite tearing his ACL in early December. He caught 96 passes for 1142 yards and eight touchdowns, and if weren’t for his ACL injury (which he is still recovering from) Metchie might be a first round choice. Instead, his injury has pushed him down the board a bit to a Day 2 pick.
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Where Metchie will go on Day 2 is very much up for debate. Some have him going as an early second round choice. Others think he may get selected until later in the third round, and potentially fall to the fourth round. It seems unlikely that would happen, but chances are the Patriots are going to have a couple of chances to pick up Metchie throughout the draft.
Metchie thrives in space, so it’s a good thing he’s able to create it constantly. He uses his speed to create seperation to catch passes, and once he gets the ball in his hands he is tough to bring down. He doesn’t have the best hands in the draft, and he struggles to make contested catches at times, but he gets open enough to the point where it wasn’t a massive issue with Alabama, and the thought process is that it could be improved upon with whichever team drafts him.
Metchie’s blend of speed and elusiveness makes him a potentially deadly wide receiver, and while he’s not exactly a natural when it comes to catching the ball, sometimes it just doesn’t matter. Tyreek Hill is an example of a player who doesn’t have great hands, but it doesn’t really matter because he’s always open. Metchie isn’t the same player as Hill, but he could become a very successful wide receiver in the NFL, and it would only cost the Pats a middle round pick.