New England Patriots: What to Expect from WR Aaron Dobson

By Dan Schmelzer | Sep 22, 2015

Led by tight end Rob Gronkowski and slot receiver extraordinaire Julian Edelman, the New England Patriots have an impressive array of weapons for Tom Brady in the passing game.

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In the early parts of the 2015 season, running back Dion Lewis has become Brady’s next favorite target, with Danny Amendola and his similar skill-set to Edelman typically thought-of as the next option, and tight end Scott Chandler figuring in there somewhere as well.

While it certainly is not hurting them, with the injury to Brandon LaFell, the Patriots are lacking a reliable outside wide receiver option. With everything that Gronkowski, Edelman and company give to the offense, an argument could be made for a traditional outside receiver not being needed. That being said, an emergence of one would only make Brady and the Patriots’ passing attack even more lethal.

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Until LaFell returns, if the Patriots are going to get production out of a player like that, it is going to have to come from third-year wide receiver Aaron Dobson. With his performance in the Patriots’ Week 2 victory over the Buffalo Bills, Dobson may finally be ready to become an important part of the Patriots’ offense.

Dobson was targeted eight times by Brady on the afternoon, and he finished with an impressive seven receptions for 87 yards. This was the first time Dobson has caught seven passes since the second game of his career early in the 2013 season.

Simply put, Dobson looked good, and particularly impressed Brady. “Aaron Dobson stepped up,” the Patriots’ quarterback stated in his post-game comments, according to Patriots.com.

Dobson major inclusion into the passing game came as a bit of a surprise with his recent role on the team.

Impressed by his deep threat ability and reliable hands, the Patriots drafted Dobson in the second round (59th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. Dobson impressed early on, and became a fairly large contributor in the passing game right away. In fact, despite only playing in 12 games (nine starts) as a rookie, Dobson finished with 37 receptions for 519 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the most productive rookie receiver in the Brady era.

Unfortunately, a foot injury cut short his rookie season and set him back in 2014. He was on and off of the active roster at the beginning of the season before being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury in December. With LaFell excelling and showing a great rapport with Brady as the Patriots’ X receiver, Dobson was quickly becoming the forgotten man.

Aug 28, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive back Charles Tillman (31) intercepts the pass intended for New England Patriots wide receiver Aaron Dobson (17) during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being a fairly recent second round pick, Dobson actually entered training camp for the 2015 season battling for his job, and if it were not for the injury to LaFell, the odds may have been stacked against him. Fortunately for Dobson, he is receiving this opportunity, and making the most of it.

In his impressive performance on Sunday, Dobson was on the field for 70 out of 86 Patriots’ offensive plays, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. “Dobson played 57 snaps all last season, so he eclipsed that total in one game Sunday,” wrote Reiss.

After his performance on Sunday, I cannot help but think that Dobson may be able to hold off LaFell as the primary X receiver in Brady’s arsenal. Obviously, he will have to continue to produce until LaFell returns. The veteran receiver is not eligble to even return until Week 8. LaFell is the much more established option, but Dobson does represent more upside than his older counterpart, and is currently the healthy player.

Dobson has put himself in a prime position to be a major contributor in the Patriots’ offense. He still has plenty of talent and upside, and if he can stay healthy, the Patriots investment in the former second-round may finally pay-off.

Next: Is Rob Gronkowski the Best Player in the NFL?

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