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Could the New England Patriots finally buck the trend and shoot their shot at a big-time receiver in the NFL Draft? ESPN's Todd McShay is starting to think so.
It just may not be the one who's been getting all the buzz of late.
In his most recent mock draft, McShay had the Patriots selecting TCU pass-catcher Quentin Johnston with the No. 14 overall pick after the top three offensive tackle prospects came off the board early.
Doing so would be a departure for the Patriots, whose lone first-round wide receiver pick under Bill Belichick (N'Keal Harry) failed spectacularly in New England. But the state of the receiver position could compel the Patriots to act if their more conventional plan of drafting an offensive tackle doesn't work out.
"…The Patriots have to do something here. Jakobi Meyers -- who was the only WR in New England to crack 550 receiving yards last season -- is about to be a free agent, which means quarterback Mac Jones needs a reliable target in the pass game," McShay writes.
"At 6-3 and 208 pounds, Johnston can stretch the field and win with physicality at the catch point. He totaled 1,069 yards last season and looked explosive in Indy last week with a 40.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-2 broad jump. I'm curious if he'll run a 40 at his pro day on March 30 -- a good time there could help his stock.The Pats have to see Sauce Gardner, Tre'Davious White and Xavien Howard in coverage twice each per season, so getting help on the outside is a key this offseason."
Aside from trading for DeAndre Hopkins, Johnston would represent the clearest path to a potentially dominant "X" receiver this year. His size, ability to go get the ball downfield and skill after the catch are the prototype for a position rapidly increasing in importance.
That said, Johnston dropped eight passes last season (14th-most in the nation), which is something he'd have to clean up if he's going to make an immediate impact in the NFL. From that standpoint, Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be a much more reliable option if available at No. 14.
But the point about taking a first-round receiver is quietly an important one to consider for New England.
Just because it didn't work out with Harry doesn't mean the Patriots should simply never do it again. As the Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the NFL Combine when fielding questions about Tee Higgins being available for a trade: "They want a receiver? Go find your own."
What's more: the free agent/trade markets aren't great for receivers at the moment.
Meyers is the best free-agent receiver out there, which might make it hard for New England to re-sign him. Second-tier options like Allen Robinson and Robert Woods might be veteran options the Patriots prefer better to a rookie, but they don't move the needle much.
The Patriots could certainly try to trade a second-round pick for Hopkins, who should have a few years of good play left in him. But the ace receiver is 30 years old, which means the decline could hit at any moment.
Doing nothing at the position for the future simply isn't an option with Tyquan Thornton the only receiver currently on the roster who's under contract for 2024. One also wonders whether Bill O'Brien, whose offenses have featured dynamic wide receivers in Houston and at Alabama, will push to swing big for a playmaker.
Whether it's early or late in the draft, the Patriots have to add more at the wide receiver position. There might not be a higher-upside option than Johnston.
