New England Patriots: Seven 2019 NFL Draft predictions
By Hal Bent
The Patriots DO draft two receivers in Rounds 2-4
Wide receivers tend to be overrated in the NFL. The success of high draft picks such as Julio Jones, A.J. Green, and Odell Beckham Jr. has led to teams overvaluing and then overdrafting wide receivers.
After the debacles of the 2017 NFL Draft (three wide receivers with late first-round grades going in the top-ten) and 2016 NFL Draft (Coleman, Fuller, Doctson, and Treadwell), teams dialed down on wide receivers last year, with six going in the second round and just two late in the first round.
But after just one season of maintaining control in the NFL Draft when it comes to overdrafting wide receivers, can the rest of the league hold themselves back in 2019?
For the Patriots, they should be hoping the answer is yes. New England desperately needs an infusion of young talent at wide receiver, and the longer the top prospects stay on the board, the better chance the Patriots have of landing them.
The 2019 NFL Draft should follow a similar blueprint as last year’s, where there are a lot of wide receivers who may be contributors for teams, but not a lot of bonafide superstars. There are a ton of wide receivers who fall into the second-to-fourth round grade in this draft, and that’s the sweet spot for New England. The Patriots should be looking for a slot receiver/punt returner and an outside-the-numbers bigger-bodied receiver.
None of the receivers available are likely flashy enough to entice the Patriots to use their first-round draft pick, but they should be able to bring in a couple of wideouts in the second, third, or fourth-round range who can develop and contribute by the second half of the season.
Wide receiver is a priority, but for the future… as the team is already four or five deep at the position (assuming Josh Gordon returns at some point) with Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, Demaryius Thomas, and Gordon. That also does not include intriguing pick-ups Maurice Harris and Bruce Ellington, or last year’s late-round draft pick Braxton Berrios.