Patriots: 3 wideouts who should take N’Keal Harry’s roster spot

2. Tre Nixon

Nixon was in a perfect offense for his skillset at UCF, as Josh Heupel and the Knights wanted to pump it up and air it out as often as possible. While this led to some solid numbers from the former 4-star recruit, Nixon almost went undrafted, with concerns about his injury history and inconsistent hands weighing heavily on him.

However, part of the reason UCF was able to be so deadly in the passing game was Nixon’s ability to get vertical and run routes. Nixon certainly has the highest ceiling of all of the players behind the new additions, and that could be enough to make him a Harry replacement.

Tre Nixon has tons of speed the Patriots can use.

Smith has had his chances, Gunner Olszewski appears to be more of a returner than a receiver, and Isaiah Zuber doesn’t have the same athletic ability. The Patriots won’t learn anything about Nixon and his potential fit in the pros if they just stick him on the bench, and Harry’s departure could give them a chance to see what he is worth.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Nixon to Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson, and while he needs to prove he can produce like the former Jet, his body type and style of play make this a solid comparison. Rookies seldom earn starting or expansive roles under Belichick, but it might be worth taking Nixon for a spin.