One of the more intriguing late-round picks for the Patriots this past weekend was Miami slot receiver Braxton Berrios in the sixth round.
Like many of the Patriots’ selections, he was a college captain, finishing his four years at the school with exactly 100 receptions for 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns. His best year came this past fall as a senior. The 5-foot-9 wide out hauled in 55 passes for 679 yards and nine touchdowns. He also is an electric punt returner, averaging 15.9 yards per return as a senior.
It’s unclear exactly where he will fit with New England, but appearing on The Ringer’s “GM Street” podcast, former Patriots executive Mike Lombardi had high praise for him, comparing him to some of the best receivers ever to play for the Patriots.
“You watch this guy play and you say wait a minute, this is Wes Welker, wait a minute, this is Danny Amendola, wait a minute, this could be Julian Edelman,” Lombardi said. “Classic New England Patriot. Now, he’s got to get stronger. He’s like 189 [pounds] and he’s got to get more physical. He can return punts, he’s got great hands. He’s going to be an inside the slot receiver. He shows enough toughness. I thought this was a great pick. … He has enough time to develop. If he’s smart, he’ll just start following Julian Edelman around, where he goes and just do everything Edelman does, and learn how to be a good player.”
It’s a fairly crowded receivers room, but it is worth noting several players are getting up there in age and there may be more of a need come next season. Perhaps this year could be more of a red-shirt year for the Miami product, learning the offense on the practice squad to put himself in a good position to compete for a roster spot next year.