The 2022 NFL Draft is very nearly upon us, which is good news for the New England Patriots. After a few years of relatively unsuccessful drafts, Bill Belichick and the Pats bounced back last year with a solid draft that yielded the likes of Mac Jones, Christian Barmore, and Rhamondre Stevenson.
Given how loaded the AFC conference has gotten this offseason, New England is going to need another great draft if they want to contend not just this upcoming season, but for future seasons as well. The draft provides teams a great opportunity to acquire NFL level talent on very cheap deals. The issue is you have to actually identify that talent beforehand.
After loading up in free agency last year, the Patriots stayed relatively quiet this time around, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. What that does mean though is that this roster has some big holes that still need to be filled, and the draft is going to need to provide some answers to the positions that are currently filled with question marks.
One of the top needs coming into the offseason for New England was wide receiver, and while the trade for Devante Parker changes the outlook a bit, it’s still going to be a pressing need for the team moving forward. As a result, many expect the Patriots are going to select at least one wideout at some point during the draft. Let’s take a look at five wide receivers the Patriots could draft this year, starting with a Day 3 pick who could pay out in a big way.
New England Patriots draft target No. 5: Slade Bolden
Slade Bolden has a very similar build to former Patriots star wide receiver Julian Edelman, so it only makes sense that he models his game after him in hopes that he can forge his path to the NFL. It’s no surprise given Bolden’s similarities to Edelman, and his ties to Alabama and Belichick’s close friend Nick Saban, that Bolden is going to be on New England’s radar come draft time.
There’s no question that Bolden is going to be a Day 3 draft pick, and there’s a decent chance he goes undrafted altogether. He put together his best collegiate season with the Crimson Tide last year, but his numbers don’t exactly jump off the page (42 REC, 408 YDS, 3 TD). That makes sense though, because if they did, Bolden would be getting drafted much earlier.
The reason the Patriots should focus on Bolden is the reason he catches people’s attention in the first place, and that’s because of his similarities to slot receivers like Edelman. Bolden has the potential to be your typical slot receiver in the NFL, even if his late round draft projections say otherwise. He’s a good route runner with solid hands who can get open on underneath routes and deep routes, which isn’t always the case with slot wideouts.
The main knack on Bolden is his build and his limited college production. He doesn’t have any physical traits that make him stand out, and his mediocre speed may make it hard for him to create seperation from NFL level defensive backs. It also doesn’t help that his production in college was fairly limited, so scouts don’t really know how much he can be counted on as a starting wideout.
Edelman is proof that guys like Bolden can make it in the NFL, even if their draft reports aren’t exactly high in praise. Bolden is a good low risk/high reward player who projects to be either a late Day 3 pick or a hot commodity in the undrafted player pool. The Pats currently don’t have a seventh round pick, but chances are they could pick one up pretty easily if they wanted to get Bolden.
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.
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.
New England Patriots draft target No. 3: George Pickens
George Pickens is one of the most polarizing wide receivers in the draft. Some evaluators think he could be a late first round/early second round pick. Others think he could fall all the way to the back of the third round or maybe even the beginning of the fourth. Regardless, Pickens is a receiver who has a lot of potential, and the Patriots may be able to snag Pickens with one of their mid-round picks if the board falls their way.
Pickens is a unique player in the sense that his best season came as a true freshman when he reeled in 49 passes for 727 yards and eight touchdowns. Unfortunately, injuries derailed the rest of his career, as he had to have surgery on a torn ACL that held him out for most of his junior year. Pickens returned for the end of the Georgia Bulldogs season, but he only caught five passes for 107 yards.
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Pickens is a bit of an unknown at this point, and like a lot of the receivers in this draft, he’s going to be attempting to make a return from an ACL injury. Pickens is a big target (6’3, 200 lbs), but he’s lanky and isn’t known for his speed, so it may make it tough for him to create seperation from opposing cornerbacks. Plus, he’s still coming back from a very big injury; nobody really knows how much that’s going to impact him moving forward.
When healthy though, Pickens has the potential to be a dominant receiver. His physical profile is exactly what you are looking for when it comes to an outside receiver, and if he adds a bit of muscle, he should be able to compete with top level outside corners. He has fantastic hands, can make catches on contested passes, and he can get open at all three levels of the field.
When he’s on the field, Pickens is one of the top receivers in this draft class, as he has an unbelieveably high ceiling. The problem is that’s far from a given; he’s injury prone, has had off-the-field issues pop up, and given how N’Keal Harry, who is a fairly similar build as Pickens, has flamed out, Pickens may not be the pick for the New England Patriots. But if he falls to pick No. 54 in the second round, he may be worth taking a chance on.
New England Patriots draft target No. 2: Chris Olave
Chris Olave was set to be one of the top wide receivers in the draft last year, but he opted to play out his final season with the Ohio State Buckeyes to improve his draft status. While he certainly did that, Olave still isn’t the top wideout on the board, although he seems to be a surefire first round pick at this point though. Chances are he could end up being available when the Patriots are up at No. 21 in the first round.
Olave broke out during his sophomore season, and while his junior season was solid, he only played in seven games, leading to a bit of a dropoff in production. Olave returned for one more season and put together his best season yet (65 REC, 936 YDS, 13 TD) setting himself up well for draft. Now Olave is one of the top prospects available, and he very well may end up being New England’s top pick this year.
Olave is pretty much what every wide receiver needs to be in order to be successful in the NFL; he’s fast and has great hands. Olave is probably the best route runner in the draft, and his ability to get open all over the field is exactly what the New England Patriots offense needs. If you need him to get six yards on a 3rd & 5, he can do it. And if you dial up a deep bomb down the field, chances are he will get open and catch that too.
The main concern with Olave is that his frame (6’1, 189 lbs) may prevent him from playing as an outside receiver (granted, if he puts on more muscle that goes away). Opposing cornerbacks will eat him up on the outside, which is where he would be asked to lineuo most of the time. Olave could play in the slot, but then you are asking a guy like Jakobi Meyers to play on the outside, which may just lead to the same problem Olave has.
Olave could conceivably start off in the slot, but he’s going to need to be able to get open on the outside if he wants to make it at the NFL level. He’s got fantastic traits and should be successful right off the bat regardless, but the Patriots are going to have to determine whether they think he can take that next step. If he’s available at No. 21, New England should absolutely take him, unless this player happens to still be on the board…
New England Patriots draft target No. 1: Jameson Williams
Going back to Alabama again, Jameson Williams probably would have been the top wide receiver prospect in this draft class if he didn’t tear his ACL in the National Championship Game. Now he’s a huge question mark who could end up falling to New England at No. 21 in the first round. And if he is available when New England is picking for the first time, it’s going to be tough to pass up on the opportunity to nab him.
After a fairly anonymous two season stint with Ohio State, Williams made the jump to Alabama and flourished. He was an absolute beast for the Crimson Tide (79 REC, 1572, 15 TD), and his ACL injury is a big reason Alabama would lose the National Championship Game. It also couldn’t have come at a worse time for Williams.
Williams claim to fame is his speed. He has ridiculous acceleration, which helps him get open on a whim, and he is extremely elusive when he has the ball in his hands. He’s tough to catch, and then you get to him all he does is pull one move and then you have to catch him again. It’s a lot easier said than done. Combine that with elite hands, and you have the makings of one of the best deep threats in the league.
The problem is obviously Williams ACL injury. How much of an impact will it have on his game, particualrly his speed? Williams isn’t exactly a stocky receiver, and if he’s not creating seperation off the line with his impressive footwork, he will struggle to get open like he did in college.
Drafting Williams may be a bit of a risk, but his upside is huge. Prior to the National Championship Game, he looked like a surefire top five pick, so the fact that he may fall to New England at No. 21 would be a massive win. The New England Patriots may have bigger needs elsewhere, but if Williams is still around when they pick in the first round, there’s almost no way you can pass up on him.