5 receivers Patriots can only hope fall to them in 2024 NFL Draft

5 wide receivers Patriots can only hope fall to them in the third round 

Cornelius Johnson 

He shares his name with a 17th-century English portrait artist, but that’s not enough reason to draft him (ok, maybe it is). Johnson was born in Connecticut so he won’t share Jayden Daniels’ concerns about the weather in the northeast. He’s also 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 212 lbs. so he’d bring the physical presence the receiving corps needs now that DeVante Parker has left.

In his five seasons at Michigan, Johnson caught 138 passes. He wasn’t a prolific touchdown scorer, but he ended his career with 2,038 receiving yards at 14.8 yards per reception.  

Johnson scored 9.42 out of 10 on the RAS formula, which is the 185th-highest score of the 3,188 receivers who have been tested. He is very athletic for a big receiver. His 4.44 second 40-yard time was in the 73rd percentile of receivers at the combine. His vertical jump was in the 75th percentile, and his broad jump saw him in the 85th.

But it’s intangible traits that make Johnson such an impressive late-round option. He does an excellent job at separating from cornerbacks trying to cover him, and even though his 10-yard split only placed him in the 61st percentile, he gets off the line really well.

He also tracks the ball better than many of the more coveted picks. If that sounds odd, it means he can catch the ball even if he is well covered or if his feet aren’t in position to drag it in. Most impressively, it means he can react quickly when a ball is deflected, almost anticipating its trajectory.

Johnson isn’t predicted to be drafted until the sixth round, but if all the Patriots targets have been gobbled up in the first two rounds, it would be worth securing Johnson in the third round.