New England Patriots: Must draft a wide receiver

The New England Patriots are always one of the most interesting teams to watch when it comes to draft day. Especially in the first round, the Patriots are one of the most active teams in the NFL as they have traded down or out of the first round six times in the last eight years and then in another year, they trade up twice in the first round in order to get Dont’a Hightower and Chandler Jones.

This year will be another exciting year for the Patriots, even if that excitement may very likely not come on day one of the draft. The wide receiver class is very deep this year, and I believe the Patriots must draft on of those wide receivers in the first round.

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Lets begin with taking a look at the Patriots’ current wide receivers. Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell are the top two guys the Patriots have at wide receiver. While Edelman isn’t a tradition number one, he is a game changing receiver who can really dominate opposing secondaries. LaFell is a big bodied receiver who was very solid for the Patriots last year, and will definitely be a good contributor for at least the next two years on his contract. After those two, the depth chart looks pretty weak.

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell (19) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks cornerback

Richard Sherman

in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

After restructuring his contract, Amendola is basically on a one year deal, unless he has a surprising bounce back year. The Patriots also added Brandon Gibson this offseason , but I doubt he will have any impact. Lastly, the Patriots have some young receivers like Aaron Dobson, Brian Tyms and Josh Boyce who have shown some promise, but in the end can never establish themselves on the field. Dobson is clearly the biggest disappointment, as the Pats had high hopes in the former second-round pick. The Patriots have solid starters at wide receiver, but are completely lacking in capable depth.

While Tom Brady is currently not showing any signs of slowing down, there will come a day that he will. The Patriots should use the time Brady has left, and surround him with some quality offensive players.

The 2015 wide receiver class is almost as loaded as the 2014 one was. It has all the components of a great draft class, as it has a few star players at the top, and then also has astounding depth. For the Patriots, Amari Cooper and Kevin White are not possible options as they will be gone far before the Patriots will have a pick. Devante Parker is most likely also out of the Patriots reach, as he figures to be a Top 15 pick. After that though, I think every other wide receiver could still be available when the Patriots are picking.

Dec 27, 2014; El Paso, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jaelen Strong (21) jumps in the air to catch a pass against the Duke Blue Devils in the 2014 Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

If the Patriots decide to use their first round pick on a wide receiver, Jaelen Strong, Dorial Green-Beckham and possible Brashad Perriman are possible options for the Patriots. Strong is an extremely talented receiver from Arizona State who has the capabilities and the size of being a true number one receiver.

Green-Beckham is athletic freak, but he has been followed by off-field troubles throughout his college career and would be a risky pick, especially since he hasn’t play a game in over a year. Perriman ran an unofficial 4.27 40-yard dash at his pro day, and at 6″2″ he has a deadly combo between size and speed.

Sammie Coates may actually be the most likely option for the Patriots, as they have shown significant interest in him. Coates will probably still be there at the end of round one. Coates has a lot talent, as he also has a very good combo strength,size and speed. In college he was plagued by drops, but Belichick was watching him very closely at his pro day which means he might be a viable option.

Personally, I don’t think Coates is worth a first round pick, especially not with the players that will most likely still be available in the second round. The last wide receiver the Patriots drafted with a high pick was Aaron Dobson, and he like Coates has struggled with drops.

While the receivers still left may lack the size that all the likely first round picks have, they still have amazing play making ability. Rashad Greene, Nelson Agholor,Devin Smith, Devin Funchess, Tyler Lockett or maybe Phillip Dorsett are possible wide receivers the Patriots could take, and each one of them has the upside of becoming a great wide receiver in the NFL.

Funchess might be the most intriguing player for the Patriots. He is hybrid between a tight end and wide receiver. He is 6″4″, but only ran a 4.70 40-yard dash, still when you watch the tape, he is still very deadly on the outside and could likely make it as pro wide receiver.

Oct 11, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Devin Funchess (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Another receiver, the Patriots should consider in the third or fourth round is Tony Lippett. Lippett has good size and really produced his senior of college in a pro style offense at Michigan State. He definitely still needs work, but he seems like he is ready to work hard and take on a challenge, as he did that in college as well. In college Lippett played both wide receiver and cornerback, which is very impressive. There are a lot of other talented names later in the draft as well, like Kenny Bell or maybe Josh Harper.

The Patriots missed out on an amazing receiving class last year, and they can not afford to do so again. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them move out of the first round and into the second, and then grab a wide receiver there. If they do add another wide receiver, their offense could be unstoppable next year. There are a lot of other directions the Pats could take their picks, but I believe that at least one of the picks must be a wide receiver.

Next: Analyzing the 5 highest paid players on the Patriots

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