6 Patriots Whose Stock Has Fallen Ahead of Training Camp
5. Mitchell Wilcox, Tight end
The Patriots have an intriguing tight end room, starting with veterans Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. Henry has established himself as one of the top pass-catching tight ends in football, and Hooper is a former Pro Bowl player who brings a veteran presence to the position as well as strong blocking skills.
So how are the Patriots planning to replace some of the pass-catching upside left behind by guys like Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown? It could come from Jaheim Bell, a late-round steal for the Patriots out of Florida State in this year's draft.
The Patriots signed Mitchell Wilcox a few days before the 2024 NFL Draft, but they might have immediately found his biggest competition for a roster spot on Day 3 when they landed Bell.
Musket Fire outlined ways that we saw Bell get utilized at Florida State and how he might be able to be an immediate asset to New England's offense:
"At Florida State, Bell lined up as a receiver and scored on a jet sweep, bouncing the only defender in a position to stop him straight into the endzone. He will be a unique weapon in the red zone. During his lone season at FSU, Bell lined up in the slot for 44.3% of his snaps. When his college quarterbacks targeted him in the passing game, they had a 117.7 passer rating.
- Rhys Knott
But it’s not just his ability as a playmaker that will make him a key part of the Patriots' offense. Bell's run-blocking will also be helpful when he lines up in the slot. In an offense that should see the running backs do a lot of the heavy lifting, screen passes, and outside zone runs should be the foundation of New England's 2024 offense."
With two veterans already in place, a player like Wilcox will have a very difficult time beating out someone like Bell for a roster spot, especially if he can prove in preseason games that he can be a difference-maker in the passing game.