5 tall receivers who the Patriots could still add in 2024 

Courtland Sutton 

The Sutton trade rumors that swirled around earlier this year seem to have fizzled out since the draft. But after the Broncos drafted Troy Franklin and re-signed Lil’Jordan Humphrey, there are currently 12 receivers in Denver. That’s too many for a team wanting to primarily run the ball. It’s difficult to imagine that Sutton will still be a Bronco when the trade deadline passes in November. 

If Sutton does remain in Denver, it may be possible to pick Tim Patrick up as a free agent. Patrick is 6 foot 4 and has a 60.6% career catch rate, averaging 14 yards per reception. However, brutal injuries have kept him off the field since the 2021 season.  

On the other hand, Sutton has only missed three games in the last three seasons, and he is taller than Mike Onwenu! So, he fits the height criterion nicely. But until last season, the former SMU Mustang hadn’t demonstrated much consistency.  

Before 2023, Sutton’s best season came in 2021, when he caught 59.1% of his targets. That increased to 65.6% last year. 2021 was also the only time Sutton played 17 games in a single season. He averaged 13.4 yards per reception in 2021, which was the lowest average of his career.

In 2023, he averaged 13.1, but he only saw 90 targets, and Russell Wilson also struggled for consistency. The headline from Sutton’s 2023 season was the ten touchdowns he hauled in, four more than his previous best.  

The Broncos inked Sutton to a contract extension in 2021 which would make him a more expensive option. But he’s only due to be paid $13 million, and the Patriots are still more than $50 million below the salary cap.