5 tall receivers who the Patriots could still add in 2024 

The 2024 season is somewhat of a project year in New England. Ownership hasn’t committed to a total rebuild, though, and some would say that after winning just four games in 2023, they should have. Jerod Mayo might be a new head coach, but he’s not exactly bringing a new perspective with him.

He was in New England last year, and his coaching career has been under the watchful eye of Bill Belichick, the man he was hired to replace. Even Eliot Wolf, who is the new Executive Vice President of Player Personnel (because ownership doesn’t want to call him the GM) has been a Patriots employee since 2020. 

The rebuilding has mainly happened on the offensive side of the ball. It began on the coaching side, with Alex Van Pelt and Ben McAdoo arriving. The playing personnel has also had a minor shake-up on the offensive side of the ball, but the team hasn’t even fully committed to that. 

Mike Onwenu, who received the lowest, was retained, and Kendrick Bourne, who only started five games in 2023, received a hefty contract extension. The PFF blocking grade of his career in 2023 was retained, and Kendrick Bourne, who only started five games in 2023, also received a hefty contract extension. However, they did get rid of DeVante Parker and, with him, any verticality the receiving corps had.

Parker wasn’t great in 2023, but he did start more games than Bourne. With Parker moving to Philadelphia, Tyquan Thornton is now the Patriots’ tallest receiver, and he’s many people’s favorite to be cut before the regular season kicks off. 

With Antonio Gibson and former Steeler Chukwuma Okorafor arriving in free agency, Van Pelt’s offense will be built on the foundation of a strong run game and getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hand quickly. However, a receiver with a large catch radius will make the quarterback’s job easier.

Outside Thornton, the Patriots have five receivers who are 6 foot 1. This could become a problem unless they plan to line up with three tight ends in the formation or with Mitchell Wilcox at receiver.

Luckily, it’s an easily solved problem. A few taller receivers are either on the market or about to become available. 

Michael Thomas 

Thomas is 6 foot 3, and while he is now 31, he will still be an effective receiver in the NFL. In 2023, he averaged 11.5 yards per reception and while he is now 31, he will still be an effective receiver in the NFL. He averaged 11.5 yards per reception in 2023 and that was on a Saints offense that ranked 14th for total yards. 

The former Ohio State Buckeye has not attracted as much attention since his setback from ankle surgery in 2021, but that’s got more to do with his team than his play. The Saints have struggled under Dennis Allen and there was absolutely no chemistry between Thomas and Derek Carr.

That relationship came to a head when Thomas took to social media to claim that he suffered a knee injury as a result of a poor pass thrown by Carr in Week 10. 

Throughout his career, Thomas has caught 76% of his targets. The Patriots' current leading receiver, Kendrick Bourne, has a 67.5% catch rate, and Bourne has never had to catch passes from Carr! He did have to deal with C.J. Beathard for five games in 2017, though.

Thomas is a real weapon in the red zone, which the Patriots offense lacked in 2023. He has caught 36 touchdowns in his career, as many as Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn have managed in their careers combined.

Only two Patriots’ receivers caught touchdown passes in 2023, Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster, so they could really use some help in that area.