Patriots roll out the red carpet for top receiver in 2023 draft

With the NFL draft quickly approaching, the Patriots have been meeting with several top prospects they’re interested in, with the latest being a wide receiver out of Boston College.

It has been reported that New England will primarily focus on two positions in the first round, cornerback and receiver, mainly because the most sought-after offensive tackles are unlikely to fall to pick 14 or lower, depending if they decide to trade back. Since the draft class is reportedly deep at that position this year, it wouldn’t be too risky for Bill Belichick to go in a different direction in the first round and pick a tackle later on.

Because at least four of the top ten teams are almost certainly selecting a quarterback, the Patriots will have more options to boost their offense or secondary, including the ever-popular Zay Flowers.

The local receiver and New England have been connected since the Shrine Bowl earlier this year, spending the week working with Bill O’Brien and Troy Brown.

They reacquainted on Thursday, with Flowers reportedly taking a red-eye flight after visiting with the Raiders and landing in Boston at 6 am. He spent the rest of the day learning the Patriots’ offense with O’Brien once again, something similar to what former first-round draft pick N’Keal Harry did upon visiting Foxboro in 2019.

Flowers isn’t the first receiver the coaching staff has met with before the draft; they already have met with Jordan Addison, Quentin Johnston, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But Flowers’ visit appears to have been the most substantial.

He’s remained a fan favorite in New England, not just because of where he’s played college but also because of his extraordinary playing abilities.

During the four years spent in Boston, Flowers played in 48 games totaling 200 receptions for 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 15.3 yards per catch. He also showed off his versatility by playing out of the backfield, totaling 57 rushes for 345 yards and two touchdowns.

To some, he’s not the WR1 the Patriots are believed to need right now. But he’s certainly talented enough to add high-end talent to their improving receiving corps.