Is Mohamed Sanu the No. 2 wide receiver for the Patriots this year?

Last season the New England Patriots traded a second-round pick to acquire Mohamed Sanu. With a dip in production, is Sanu still a No. 2 wide receiver?

With the departure of Tom Brady, the New England Patriots are going to rely on second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham or veteran Brian Hoyer to run the offense in 2020 — and Mohamed Sanu is a guy that could potentially help whoever starts.

With Hoyer being a middling quarterback at best and Stidham an unproven commodity, the skill position players will have to play an even more critical role this upcoming season than they usually would with Brady under center.

Sanu, who the Patriots traded a second-round pick for last season, is expected to be one of those players slotting into a starting role in the offense, likely as the No. 2 receiver to begin the year. But is Sanu capable of being a productive No. 2 wide receiver entering the season as a 31-year-old?

Historically, Mohamed Sanu has been a No. 2 receiver

Sanu has never been a No. 1 wide receiver. The No. 2 role has always been where he’s slotted in.

During his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals, Sanu was behind A.J. Green. Then, during his time spent with the Atlanta Falcons, he was behind Julio Jones. With Calvin Ridley bursting onto the scene for the Falcons, the Falcons had the opportunity to move on from the aging Sanu.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick dealt a second-round pick for Sanu, which could now be considered a questionable decision after the team’s early departure last postseason and the individual decline in production for a receiver who will be 31 going into this season.

During his three full years with the Falcons, Sanu averaged 731.3 yards receiving per season. Each year spent with Matt Ryan and Jones, Sanu improved on his receiving totals. In his first season, Sanu recorded 653 yards receiving, followed up by 703 yards in his second season, and then 838 yards in his last full season with Atlanta in 2018.

Last season, Sanu showed a decline in production with the Falcons — and those numbers dipped even more with the Patriots.

Sanu had 33 catches on 42 targets last season with the Falcons that resulted in 313 receiving yards and a touchdown. Following the trade, Sanu was targeted 47 times by Brady, but it resulted in less overall production. His first season with the Patriots — eight games — Sanu turned those targets into a meager 207 yards and one touchdown.

There was a lot left to be desired, and he’ll need to turn these numbers around early in the season or Sanu could find himself losing playing time to N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers.

Mohamed Sanu can be a No. 2 based on his past, but will he be that for the Patriots this season?

The capital used to acquire him means there’s certainly a good chance he earns the No. 2 role over Harry to begin the 2020-21 season.

I don’t anticipate this lasting more than a couple weeks though, as Harry is the more talented receiver and he also has the capital argument working in his favor, being a first-round pick by the team in last year’s draft.

The main reason Sanu will likely slot in as the No. 2 to begin the year is his experience. He’s a proven commodity and has shown his reliability throughout his career. He also was fighting through an ankle injury all last year, per our friend Sam Minton over at Chowder and Champions, so he’ll likely get a chance to redeem himself.

Harry, on the contrary, missed a large chunk of last season, only playing in seven games and starting five of them. With 24 targets, Harry turned it into 12 receptions for 105 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. He also had five rushes for 49 yards, showing his versatility to open up the field in numerous ways … which is something Bill Belichick values greatly.

There will likely be a competition between Mohamed Sanu and N’Keal Harry for the No. 2 role behind Julian Edelman in 2020. Sanu is the better bet to start Day 1, but Harry is the better bet to take that No. 2 job and hold it for most of the regular season.