A look at some wide receiver prospects the Patriots might have their eyes on in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Besides quarterback and left tackle, the wide receiver position is the biggest need on the New England Patriots’ current roster. While the team has some established players under contract as well as some intriguing youngsters, the group as a whole lacks true difference-making potential.
That is true across the board, but especially on the outside. As a look at the personnel shows, the Patriots have plenty of slot and Z options but lack in the X-receiver department:
- Kendrick Bourne (84) | Opening day age: 29 | Contract: Signed through 2026
- DeMario Douglas (3) | Opening day age: 23 | Contract: Signed through 2026
- K.J. Osborn (2) | Opening day age: 27 | Contract: Signed through 2024
- JuJu Smith-Schuster (7) | Opening day age: 27 | Contract: Signed through 2025
- Tyquan Thornton (11) | Opening day age: 24 | Contract: Signed through 2025
- Jalen Reagor (1) | Opening day age: 25 | Contract: Signed through 2024
- Kayshon Boutte (80) | Opening day age: 22 | Contract: Signed through 2026
- T.J. Luther (82) | Opening day age: 24 | Contract: Signed through 2024
- Kawaan Baker (86) | Opening day age: 26 | Contract: Signed through 2024
The Patriots’ top receiving options heading into 2024 all do their best work either inside the formation or as Z-receivers when split out wide. And while the team does have candidates to fill that X role, most of them have yet to consistently perform throughout their NFL careers (Jalen Reagor) or are tweeners (K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton, T.J. Luther).
Luckily for the Patriots, this year’s draft is deep on wideouts potentially capable of addressing that need: New England could find contributors at the X — as well as the other receiver spots — on all three days.
Given the current composition of the wideout depth chart, this breakdown focuses primarily on outside players. There are plenty of X-receiver prospects, as well as a few players in the Z and slot category: those two, however, are primarily looking at top-tier talent that might make a positive impact from Day 1 on, or on intriguing developmental players to add to the mix in the later rounds.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at our Patriots wide receiver targets in the 2024 NFL Draft.
X-receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State): The top wide receiver prospect in this year’s class, Harrison Jr. is the total package: he combines size and athletic traits with advanced mechanical tools. The Patriots would have to forgo a quarterback with their first pick in the draft to pick him, but he has the potential to be a Day 1 difference-maker and legitimate WR1. | Expected round: 1 (Top 10) | Draft profile
Rome Odunze (Washington): Coming off an impressive two-year stretch at Washington, Odunze is no less impressive than Marvin Harrison Jr. and therefore also projected to be selected within the first 10 picks. He too offers a size/speed/route running combination that is rare and would allow him to come in and start right away. | Expected round: 1 (Top 10)
Brian Thomas Jr. (LSU): A starter each of his three college seasons, Thomas Jr. is a rare athlete who can add a vertical dimension to any offense. A smooth strider who knows how to use tempo and set up defenders, New England might get aggressive if he starts sliding in the first round — up to a point where a trade up from No. 34 overall might be in play. | Expected round: 1 | Draft profile
Adonai Mitchell (Texas): Another player who might be in range for a trade up back into the first round, Mitchell’s lone year of elite production came after he transferred from Georgia to Texas. Nonetheless, he offers good size and speed to develop into a true No. 1 wideout on the perimeter. | Expected round: 1-2 | Draft profile
Keon Coleman (Florida State): There might be reservations about Coleman due to comparisons to N’Keal Harry, but he still could be a target for New England in the second round. After all, he offers impressive size and plays faster than his 4.61 40-yard dash would suggest. If he could add a bit of nuance to this game, he has the potential to become the player Harry was meant to be when drafted in 2019. | Expected round: 2
Xavier Legette (South Carolina): After catching just 42 passes over his first four years, Legette broke out with a 71/1,255/7 performance as a senior in 2023. He has decent size and speed and could be a factor both as a X or in more of a Z-receiver role. | Expected round: 2-3 | Draft profile
Jermaine Burton (Alabama): Burton has inside/outside flexibility but would likely be used as a rotational X early on in his Patriots career. He is a good athlete but does not always play the part. | Expected round: 2-3 | Draft profile
Brenden Rice (USC): The USC product combines good size and speed with an NFL Hall of Fame background (he is Jerry Rice’s son), but he is not the most refined wideout. He could come in and positively contribute in a limited role, at least initially. | Expected round: 3 | Draft profile
Devontez Walker (North Carolina): Walker has some intriguing traits and a natural connection with potential Patriots quarterback investment Drake Maybe, but he is a raw prospect. Bringing him in would be a gamble, but his developmental upside cannot be denied. | Expected round: 3-4 | Draft profile
Javon Baker (UCF): Baker is an explosive wide receiver who offers serious big play potential as well as some of the best body control in the draft. His athleticism does not stand out, but there are flashes to work with as a X-receiver with early starter potential. | Expected round: 3-4 | Draft profile
Johnny Wilson (Florida State): Despite standing at over 6-foot-6, Wilson is not a dominant jump ball receiver who knows how to play to his frame. What he is is a good accelerator who also offers some route running savvy. | Expected round: 4-5
Cornelius Johnson (Michigan): Johnson is moving well for a 6-foot-3 wideout, and has some tools to develop. His game overall is still raw, but he could compete for a specialized role early in his career. A preexisting connection with possible Patriots quarterback pick J.J. McCarthy also might not hurt his case. | Expected round: 5-6
Ryan Flournoy (Southeast Missouri State): Even though he had to deal with some injury woes and is an underdeveloped route runner despite already being 24, Flournoy is an interesting late-round prospect. He has good size and speed, and also was voted a team captain all two of his season at Southeast Missouri State. | Expected round: 5-6
Bub Means (Pittsburgh): Means has a common history with Patriots assistant wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood, but that is not the only reason the team might be interested in him. He also has decent size and good acceleration, and could become a quality rotational perimeter target with some polish. | Expected round: 6-7
Jalen Coker (Holy Cross): The Patriots have shown some interest in Coker during the pre-draft process, and it is not hard to see why. He dominated competition at Holy Cross for the last two seasons, and also has NFL-caliber size and a refined technical makeup. | Expected round: 6-7
Z-receiver
Malik Nabers (LSU): Capable of playing both inside and outside, Nabers may not be the biggest receiver but his movement skills and agility are special. This allows him to put constant pressure on defensive backs and be a threat on all three levels. Like the aforementioned Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze, Nabers also would command the Patriots’ first pick in the draft. He might be worth it, though. | Expected round: 1 (Top 10)
Xavier Worthy (Texas): The literal fastest man in football after setting a new Combine record in the 40-yard dash (4.21s), Worthy offers elite potential as a field-stretcher and in open space. His size is a concern, but his playmaking potential is undeniable as well. | Expected round: 2-3 | Draft profile
Troy Franklin (Oregon): Speaking of undersized players, Troy Franklin falls in a similar category. While not as fast as Worthy, he has the speed to take the top off a defense and the length to play outside the formation as well. | Expected round: 2-3 | Draft profile
Ricky Pearsall (Florida): Pearsall has seen action all over the formation, and could very well succeed as an X and a Z. Not necessarily the most explosive player, he his length and ball skills are promising. | Expected round: 2-3 | Draft profile
Ja’Lynn Polk (Washington): Polk’s college career took off the last two seasons, when he served a starter Z-receiver in a highly-talented Huskies offense. His role in the NFL projects to look similar, with his size and solid speed allowing him to contribute both inside and outside. | Expected round: 2-3 | Draft profile
Jalen McMillan (Washington): McMillan’s play style has drawn comparisons to ex-Patriot Jakobi Meyers due to his ability to run smooth routes even at 6-foot-1, 197 pounds. The Washington product is a better overall athlete, though, and could add value as a volume target both inside and outside. | Expected round: 3-4
Slot receiver
Luke McCaffrey (Rice): McCaffrey will draw comparisons to ex-Patriots wideout Julian Edelman after making the QB-to-WR transition as well. They are different types of players, but New England might approach McCaffrey like it did Edelman: just get him on the field as a talented yet underdeveloped player, and figure it out from there. | Expected round: 5-6 | Draft profile
Ainias Smith (Texas A&M): Smith was a jack of all trades in college and similar to McCaffrey looks like a “just give him an opportunity” flier in the later rounds. His agility can be an asset beyond offense, too, and he might become a factor early on in his career under the NFL’s new kickoff procedure. | Expected round: 6-7
As can be seen, some top-flight receiver prospects such as Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Michigan’s Roman Wilson, Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley, or Virginia’s Malik Washington are not part of this list. While all of them have intriguing traits and could develop into productive players within the Patriots system, they offer too little on the outside — a definitive area of need — to be considered in this breakdown. All of them are projected to come off the board within the first two days, where the team might focus on improving on the perimeter.
All in all, however, this year is a good one to have a need at wide receiver. The Patriots have a golden opportunity ahead of them to inject some much-needed talent and playmaking ability to their current group.
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