With the signing of Stefon Diggs to a three-year contract, the Patriots finally have their sorely needed top wide receiver. Drake Maye has to be one of the happiest young quarterbacks in the NFL at this point, as Diggs' signing will not only open up the offense, but take pressure off young guys like DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte.
We all know the Patriots are not done upgrading their roster. Plenty of free agents remain unsigned, and the NFL Draft is just under a month away. And the offense still needs help. Diggs can't catch 200 balls, and is coming off a torn ACL, so it may take him a quarter of the season to get his legs under him.
With the signing of Diggs, the pressure is off for Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel to draft Travis Hunter with the fourth overall pick, so don't be surprised if the Patriots choose to look elsewhere, or even trade down.
Under-the-radar receivers who would pair well with Stefon Diggs in the 2025 NFL Draft
1. Emeka Egbuka
Egbuka's route-running is as elite as it gets, which mirrors the talents of Diggs. All the talk about Hunter being the overall talent is well-deserved, but as far as across-the-board talent, Egbuka may stand out as the best athlete in this draft.
And like Diggs, he creates great separation at the line of scrimmage and runs crisp routes. It's been six years since the Patriots have had a player who can consistently find holes in the defense and win 50-50 balls down the field. Pairing Egbuka with Diggs on the outside could be as lethal as it gets.
2. Luther Burden III
Ahighly recruited player coming out of high school, the product of powerhouse East St. Louis High chose to stay close to home and play at the University of Missouri, turning down offers from schools like guy who was heavily recruited coming out of high school, the product of powerhouse East St. Louis High chose to stay close to home and play at the University of Missouri, turning down offers from the likes of Georgia.
With all the hype surrounding players like Hunter and Egbuka, Burden hasn't been discussed much and has, frankly, flown under the radar.
Projected by most to be a mid-first-round pick or a high-second-round pick, Burden makes a lot of sense to complement Diggs and provide Maye another formidable target. He has a knack for the end zone, having scored 21 touchdowns in college, and is a guy who could play on the outside and in the slot in Josh McDaniels' offense.
3. Elic Ayomanor
Another "under the radar" player who was the best on an otherwise mediocre team, Ayomanor is the type of X receiver who would fit the Patriots' offense perfectly and complement Diggs exceptionally well.
At 6'1'', Ayomanor has the size to play on the outside, but if the Patriots were to take him, don't be surprised if he's more of an inside target. He has the size to play on the outside, but if the Patriots were to take him, don't be surprised if he has a 1,000-yard season in 2023 and takes advantage of his size to make plays in traffic, something Diggs is one of the best at in the NFL.
Ayomanor is projected to go on Day Two, and he's a player worth targeting if he's available to the Patriots.