New England Patriots: 5 players the team should take with No. 21 overall pick
New England Patriots draft target No. 3: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
It’s clear that wide receiver isn’t as high up as it once was on New England’s positional needs list. Trading for Devante Parker provided a nice temporary stop-gap for the time being, which will most likely allow Belichick to invest in bigger needs (like cornerback and linebacker) first. But let’s get this straight; if Jameson Williams somehow ends up falling to the 21st overall pick, the New England Patriots absolutely have to take him.
There’s only one receiver that I would be OK with the Pats taking at the 21st pick at this point and that’s Williams. He was set to be a lock as a top five pick before he tore his ACL in the National Championship Game, and that injury has caused him to fall further down many boards than initially expected. Anytime you have the opportunity to add a top talent like Williams towards the end of the first round, you take that player and don’t look back.
I’ve already taken a close looks at Williams and his potential fit with the Patriots a couple of time, so I won’t dive too deep into his case this time around. Prior to tearing his ACL, he was the top receiver in the nation. He finished his first season with the Alabama Crimson Tide with 79 catches for 1572 yards and 15 touchdowns.
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The problem is he tore his ACL. Williams says he’s ahead of his rehab timeline, but no one knows for sure how much it will impact him once he returns. Williams relies heavily on his speed to create seperation from defenders and then run away from them after the catch. Whether he still has that blazing speed will only be known once he returns to field.
At this stage, I doubt Williams drops to #21, but if he does, it should be a no-brainer for Belichick. Williams was never going to be available for the Patriots prior to his injury, and the fact that he may be now would basically gift Belichick a top wideout for Mac Jones and New England’s offense for the foreseeable future. There are concerns surrounding his health, yes, but if Williams is still on the board at #21, he quickly would jump to the top of this list.