Maybe the New England Patriots aren’t as good as before in terms of evaluating talent.
Yes, they got it right with Mac Jones without trading up to get him.
But they have traded first-round pick N’Keal Harry after three uneventful seasons with the Patriots.
All they got for him is the Chicago Bears’ seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Harry trade highlights a dubious trend for the team in terms of drafting wide receivers.
NBC Sports’ Warren Sharp revisits this history with a retweet.
this is gross
list of Pats WRs drafted in first 4 rounds since becoming a dynasty:
rd 1 – N'Keal Harry (about to be gone)
rd 4 – Malcolm Mitchell
rd 2 – Aaron Dobson
rd 4 – Josh Boyce
rd 3 – Taylor Price
rd 3 – Brandon Tate
rd 2 – Chad Jacksonlook up the careers of these guys
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 3, 2022
Aside from Harry, the Patriots also drafted Malcolm Mitchell, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, Taylor Price, Brandon Tate, and Chad Jackson.
If you don’t know any of them, that’s exactly the point.
The Patriots haven’t had much luck in developing the wideouts they have drafted.
That trend could be the reason the Patriots opted to acquire the likes of DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and Jakobi Meyers.
They were also better off getting players like Randy Moss, who set the league record for most touchdowns by a receiver in a single season with New England.
Worst yet, they skipped on great wideouts with their draft haul above.
They got Harry even when Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, and Terry McLaurin were still available.
Likewise, they drafted Mitchell before Tyreek Hill and Dobson before Keenan Allen.
Not All Misses At Wide Receiver For The Patriots
But of all their failures in drafting a great wideout, they got it right with Deion Branch and Julian Edelman.
They got Edelman in the seventh round of the 2009 draft and he became Super Bowl LIII MVP.
Meanwhile, Branch was taken in the second round of the 2002 draft and became Super Bowl XXXIX MVP.
However, Branch and Edelman are exceptions to the Patriots’ miserable record in getting it right at wide receiver.
It would help Mac Jones a lot if the Patriots could give him an elite pass catcher.
Leave a Reply