I don’t want the New England Patriots to draft a receiver in the first round. Heck, I don’t want them to draft a receiver in the first two rounds. The need for a starter at cornerback and offensive tackle is too great to delay in favor of a flashy selection.
So if it’s not a combination of Devon Witherspoon and Anton Harrison or Broderick Jones and Emmanuel Forbes, then I would be disappointed by the Patriots.
The problem with the Patriots offense wasn’t talent, it was coaching. New England addressed the coaching problem by replacing Matt Patricia with Bill O’Brien, an actual offensive coordinator.
And through free agency the Patriots have upgraded the roster at some positions. Even if you love Jakobi Meyers, you have to admit that JuJu Smith-Schuster is an upgrade. They added two offensive tackles and signed two special teams specialists. The latter is critical since the Patriots allowed three kickoff return touchdowns and a blocked punt last season.
Trading a pick for Jerry Jeudy or DeAndre Hopkins I’m not opposed to, but it has to be a favorable deal for the Patriots. But making one of these deals isn’t necessary. The receiving corps, when healthy, is pretty strong.
That being said, the Patriots should add another receiver though the draft.
Patriots can find some very appealing receivers available in the third round and later
DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Smith-Schuster on the field simultaneously sounds pretty dangerous. Tyquan Thornton is an immense talent in need of the right developing. And Ty Montgomery is a versatile weapon, if he makes a full recovery.
But there’s always the possibility of making the group better. The Patriots waived Kristian “two touchdowns” Wilkerson after the 2022 season. And Tre Nixon is in a make it or break it season. He briefly stood out during training camp last season, but was unremarkable in preseason games. If Nixon doesn’t challenge to make the roster, it might be time to move on.
It’s a deep receiver pool in this year’s draft. When you whittle the prospects down to those that fit the Patriots’ system, the options are dramatically less.
While we think we know the kind of receivers New England look for, I strongly believe in the prospects that would be great for the Patriots. I have an idea of three receivers the Patriots would have high on their board. But I also have three wide outs to suggest to New England instead of those receivers. All prospects are projected to be selected in the third round or later:
Xavier Hutchinson vs. Bryce Ford-Wheaton
Raw Athletic Score Head-to-head.
The New England Patriots seemingly are going away from small, quick slot receivers, so the first match-up involves two big-bodied threats.
Iowa State’s Xavier Hutchinson is a bigger version of Jakobi Meyers. Hutchinson is 6-3 210 and he uses every inch and pound of his physique. His length gives Hutchinson a huge catch radius and he’s comfortable plucking the ball away from his body. And his size allows Hutchinson to shield defenders all over the field, particularly in the red zone.
Like Meyers, Hutchinson isn’t fleet of foot. But like Meyers, Hutchinson is a crafty route runner. Despite not being a deep threat, Hutchinson produced his share of chunk plays. He’s good for periodic 20-yard gains to keep the chains moving.
Hutchinson would be a reliable target over the middle. He’s a projected third round selection.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton is projected to go late in the draft, but it’s hard to believe that will be the case after he put on a show at the NFL Combine.
Yes, it was without pads on, but Ford-Wheaton had the top vertical, third best 20-yard shuttle, fourth best 40-yard dash and seventh in the 3-come drill. Combined with being 6-3 221 pounds, and Ford-Wheaton has a Raw Athletic Score of 9.96. He’s a rare athlete.
What holds Ford-Wheaton back are his hands. He’s a defense’s worse nightmare based on measurables, but he needs to catch the ball first. When he does, Ford-Wheaton is the deep threat dreams are made of and an automatic mismatch. There aren’t many corners built to cover him.
Teams will take the chance on Ford-Wheaton’s raw talent. The New England Patriots should consider him as well. Recent projections have Ford-Wheaton as a sixth to seventh round selection. That might not be the case anymore.
Puka Nacua vs. Jonathan Mingo
Raw Athletic Score Head-to-head.
If there was a receiver that is a natural fit with the New England Patriots Way, Puka Nacua is him. A+ character. Team first. Tough. Versatile. What he lacks in physical ability, Nacua makes up for it in intangibles.
Nacua’s best trait is what he can do with the ball in his hands. Whether it was a short route or a receiver screen, BYU got the ball in Nacua’s hands quickly and let him go. There may not be a more physical receiver on the run than Nacua. The guy chews up YAC like grass and will literally try to run over anyone in his way. He looks like a 6-1 205-pound Rob Gronkowski the way he takes on tacklers head-on and leaves many broken tackles behind him.
If the Cougars aren’t throwing the ball to Nacua, he’s taking carries on jet sweeps. 25 times Nacua was handed the ball for 209 yards and five touchdowns. So if his numbers as a receiver don’t impress (48-625-5), then the 10 total touchdowns will.
What Nacua brings to the table is appetizing, but the lack of speed leaves you unsatisfied. If you want Nacua’s skills with speed, then you should crave Jonathan Mingo.
They’re the same height, but Mingo is about 10 pounds heavier and .10 faster in the 40. It doesn’t sound like much, but there’s a big difference between 4.56 and 4.46 on the field.
And it shows. Mingo can be a deep threat, proven by his 16.9 yards per reception. But he’s also a threat to take short passes and turn them into explosive gains. Mingo won’t shy away from contact. The difference between him and Nacua is while Nacua seeks it, Mingo can run away from it.
Mingo also exhibits solid concentration as a receiver. A hand/arm in his face or a defender making contact doesn’t distract Mingo when he’s going for the ball.
It was expected that Mingo would hear his name called in the fourth round, but his stock is rumored to be heating up. Nacua is projected to go in the sixth/seventh round.
Kearis Jackson vs. Dontayvion Wicks
Raw Athletic Score Head-to-head.
Kearis Jackson isn’t the Georgia receiver I want the New England Patriots to draft, but Adonai Mitchell is at least a year away. Until that day comes, Jackson would give the Patriots what they got from Malcolm Mitchell. And hopefully it would be for more than one year.
Jackson might just be an average receiver, but there’s no denying that he goes all out every time he has the ball. Jackson will get the most out of every quick screen or slant that comes his way.
What may set Jackson apart is football IQ. Coming out of the Georgia program, he has an understanding of reading coverages and making quick decisions to get open. That could be the key to Jackson being selected by the Patriots. And if he is, it might not take Jackson long to pick up the offense, like Malcolm Mitchell did with the New England Patriots.
Want your voice heard? Join the Chowder And Champions team!
Jackson also has experience as a returner. He won’t take the job away from Marcus Jones, but Jackson would be valuable as a back-up.
Stop watches say Jackson has a step on Dontayvion Wicks (4.55 vs. 4.62), but it doesn’t look like that’s the case in highlights. Wicks averaged 21.1 yards per reception the year he broke Virginia’s single-season receiving yards record in 2021.
Scouting reports say Wicks has a problem with drops. That’s a concern, but at the same time his highlights are littered with impressive, contested catches. Whether draped over his back or reaching around a DB, Wicks had some, “how did he catch that?” receptions.
If Wicks fixes his drops problem, he could be a great intermediate route runner going over the middle and along the sidelines. He might not get behind defenses like he did as a Cavalier, but he can certainly be a go-to receiver when the team needs a first down.
Wicks is projected to go in the fourth round, while Jackson will wait until the sixth or seventh round.