The “Annual Next Great Patriots Slot Receiver Sweepstakes” (trademark pending) is a timeless tradition around Foxboro. Every year, you can take it to the bank that draft pundits will identify and at least one college prospect who they deem as a “typical” Patriots receiver and force him into their mock drafts.
Now, it’s not all speculative theory. Despite several swings and misses over the last decade-plus, the Patriots have taken their fair share of cracks at identifying young wide receiver talent through the draft. Dating back to selecting Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman 232rd overall in 2009, the team has spent nine draft picks on wide receivers, which is middle of the pack compared to the rest of the league. It just hasn’t been pretty.
For those of us still with us who haven’t run to wash their eyes, you understand the value the Patriots have placed on the oft-titled security blanket of its offense. Wes Welker was the backbone of some of the most prolific Patriots offenses from 2007-2012, and Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola played crucial roles as part of Dynasty 2.0.
Undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers, who broke out with 59 receptions for 729 yards in 2020, figures to play a key role in the team’s 2021 offense as a big slot-type option. The cupboard, however, is rather bare at the position after him, with Edelman’s status in question and N’Keal Harry yet to live up to his first-round potential from two years ago. Gunner Olszewski is not a reliable offensive option at this time after playing just 88 offensive snaps in 2020.
Luckily for the Pats, this year’s crop of collegiate prospects is strong once again, with some experts claiming it is even deeper than last year’s historic class. Simply put, it’s a good year to be in the market for a wide receiver. And while the case can be made for wide receiver being the team’s second-highest priority, (after quarterback, of course) so too can a handful of other positional groups, like tight end, defensive line and linebacker.
The Patriots will ultimately see how the board shakes out in April when deciding how early to address the slot receiver position (looking at Alabama’s speedster Jaylen Waddle), but with so many needs on the roster and another deep receiver class, they may choose to wait until the later rounds to fill the need. So, let’s take a look at some names that could fit the bill later in the draft. For the sake of the exercise, we’ve ruled out slot receivers expected to go in the first three rounds, including Waddle, Purdue’s Rondale Moore, Florida’s Kadarius Toney, Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace, Western Michigan’s Dwayne Eskridge, Ole Miss’ Elijah Moore, and Southern California’s Amon-Ra. St. Brown.
Jaelon Darden – North Texas
Week 1 Age: 22
2020 Stats: 74 receptions, 1,190 yards, 19 touchdowns
Size: 5’9” 174 lbs
Projected Round: Round 4
Why the Patriots should draft him: Darden was a Swiss Army knife for the Mean Green offense in 2020, lining up in the slot, backfield and occasionally splitting out wide. He also brings special teams value to the table, serving as the team’s primary punt returner for the 2017 and 2019 seasons.
Darden’s smaller frame may not translate well to the physical toll of an NFL defense, but his explosiveness and knack for generating yards after contact are two things the Patriots offense currently lacks. The Mean Green also didn’t exactly face what one would call premier competition, but some of these stat lines are impossible to ignore:
· 13 receptions, 244 yards, 3 touchdowns
· 10 receptions, 204 yards, 1 touchdown
· 8 receptions, 173 yards, 4 touchdowns
· 8 receptions, 143 yards, 1 touchdown
· 8 receptions, 135 yards, 3 touchdowns
· 13 receptions, 104 yards, 1 touchdown
Get the ball in Darden’s hands and you have a natural playmaker who can score from anywhere on the field.
Shi Smith – South Carolina
Week 1 Age: 22
2020 Stats: 57 receptions, 633 yards, 4 touchdowns
Size: 5’10” 186 lbs
Projected Round: 4
Why the Patriots should draft him: Smith had about as good of a week as anyone at the 2021 Senior Bowl, which we know the Patriots value. He repeatedly got open, putting defenders in a blender and making acrobatic catches.
As you see in the video, Smith is quick at the line of scrimmage, which he can capitalize on to create separation. He’ll still need to get more consistent in that area in order to win physically as opposed to just burning defenders.
South Carolina saw Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards go fairly early in back-to-back drafts. The Patriots were connected to both but didn’t pull the trigger. You know they’re kicking themselves over Samuel, who was such an obvious fit at the time. Perhaps the third time is the charm.
Amari Rodgers – Clemson
Week 1 Age: 21
2020 Stats: 77 receptions, 1,020 yards, 7 touchdowns
Size: 5’9” 211 lbs
Projected Round: 4-5
Why the Patriots should draft him: Ever see the NFL Films documentary “The Brady 6,” which depicts Tom Brady’s 2000 draft story and the six quarterbacks taken before he was selected by New England 199th overall? If you have you remember Tee Martin, one of the ‘Brady 6’ and the third quarterback taken that year – 163rd overall by the Steelers. Rodgers is Martin’s son.
But while Rodger’s NFL pedigree will help him prepare for life in the NFL, his talent on the field is ultimately what will help him stick.
Rodgers is a tactician in the slot with plus route-running ability, but he also showed explosiveness and downfield talent for the Tigers.
He added value to the Clemson offense, lining up in the backfield and returning kicks and punts. Rodgers would bring a toughness to the Patriots wide receiver group; he runs like a running back, making him tough to tackle. It is also worth noting that he tore is ACL in 2019 and quickly recovered in 166 days.
The Patriots were at Trevor Lawrence’s pro day on February 12, presumably to watch fellow Tiger wide receiver Cornell Powell, who was catching passes from the eventual No. 1 pick. Perhaps Rodgers is on the team’s radar as well.
Anthony Schwartz – Auburn
Week 1 Age: 20
2020 Stats: 54 receptions, 636 yards, 3 touchdowns
Size: 6’0” 180 lbs
Projected Round: 5-6
Why the Patriots should draft him: Speed and quickness is becoming a common theme on this list, and Schwartz may be the fastest guy in this year’s class with a 4.27 official 40-yard dash time.
Schwartz was featured both in the slot and on the outside in Auburn’s offense in 2020, delivering homerun ability from all corners of the field. He doubles as a track star, participating in national and international competitions, winning gold medals at the 2018 World U20 Championships and 2017 and Pan American U20 Championships.
Track speed obviously doesn’t mean Schwartz is ticketed for NFL success, but there is precedent for the Patriots being interested in these types of athletes. They took a flier on Olympic track silver medalist Jeff Demps in 2012. Schwartz also possesses the physical toughness at the line of scrimmage that the team looks for.
Dax Milne – BYU
Week 1 Age: 21
2020 Stats: 70 receptions, 1,188 yards, 8 touchdowns
Size: 6’1” 190 lbs
Projected Round: 7
Why the Patriots should draft him: Often, when scouting the draft’s top prospects, other guys tend to catch the eyes of scouts. It can be assumed the Patriots are scouting BYU quarterback and Top 10 pick Zach Wilson as their potential quarterback of the future, so there’s a strong possibility his trusty receiver Dax Milne has caught their eye as well.
Milne was by far Wilson’s favorite target in his breakout 2020 campaign, and his 77 percent catch rate on 91 targets shows his reliability. One might question if his spike in production was a product of Wilson’s stellar season, but his rise from walk-on to No. 1 receiver shouldn’t be taken lightly.
We don’t know how the Patriots feel about Wilson as a potential trade-up option in the first round, but if they can somehow land him as their quarterback of the future, it would be wise to keep this productive duo together in Foxboro.