Patriots: Where does Gunner Olszewski fit in offense after offseason signings?

Even following their free agent splurge, the New England Patriots are widely said to have one of the worst wide receiving corps in the league.

Fans would be hard-pressed to disagree with that assessment, and it largely boils down to the Patriots’ lack of a premier No. 1 option.

That could’ve been solved had they traded for Julio Jones, but we’ve already talked about that at length.

Though the Pats are in need of a high-end talent, however, there’s something to be said about the a handful of capable receivers they possess, including Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and N’Keal Harry, who’s entering a pivotal third year.

With 2020 undrafted talent Isaiah Zuber projected to take on a bigger role, the jury is still out on fan favorite Gunner Olszewski and how he fits in the offense.

If you asked ESPN insider Mike Reiss, who released his unofficial WR depth chart on Twitter this week, Olszewski could struggle for targets next season.

Will Gunner Olszewski have a role on the Patriots’ offense in 2021?

If Olszewski ends up sixth in the receiving pecking order, it goes without saying he won’t be making much of an impact in the passing game.

After all, you have to account for new tight end tandem Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, who figure to have a huge role in the Patriots’ offense after they signed for a combined $87.4 million in free agency this offseason.

Not to mention, Olszewski will most definitely be behind James White, who’s consistently one of the leading receivers out of the backfield every season, in the battle for targets. For context, the seven-year pro has managed 121 catches on 157 targets over the last two years.

On top of that, the Patriots aren’t going to abandon their running game after it finished fourth in the NFL with 146.6 rushing yards per contest last year. The Damien Harris-Sony Michel committee looked surprisingly lethal, so expect them to receive significant workloads, too.

So, where does all of that leave Olszewski? While he’ll maintain his role as a return specialist, and a darn good one at that, he’ll likely be used sparingly as a gadget player on jet sweeps, bubble screens and those sorts of packages.

As evidenced by his effectives in the return game, the 24-year-old is incredibly difficult to bring down in the open field, so the Patriots would be smart to get the ball in his hands.

While he isn’t the most gifted receiver on the roster, his YAC (yards after catch) ability is impressive, so don’t be surprised if Olszewski carves out a nice (but limited) role for himself.

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