Things are looking a little thin for the New England Patriots at the wide receiver spot these days. Aside from Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett, there aren’t many guys on the depth chart with a wealth of quality production at the NFL level.
Fortunately for the Patriots, the 2019 NFL Draft class is fairly deep at the wide receiver position. There are a number of receivers in the class who many teams view as first-round talents. New England — thanks to owning 12 picks in the upcoming draft — can afford to wait and get better value at the position in the later rounds.
Here are five wide receiver prospects who the Patriots should target in the NFL draft.
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Stanford
All of the knocks on Arcega-Whiteside have to do with his measurables and workouts. On film, however, he is one of the more complete and polished receivers in the class. He has mastered the art of high-pointing the ball — regardless of the route. He also has experience in the slot, despite being one of the bigger receivers (6’2″, 225 pounds) in the class. Additionally, his football IQ is what you’d expect from a Stanford player. He excels as a blocker as well.
Kelvin Harmon, North Carolina State
Harmon is a big, strong possession receiver the likes that New England hasn’t seen in a long time. He’s not afraid to use his size and strength to get open, and rarely loses a jump ball due to his hand-strength. His real value as a Patriot would come in the red zone. Tom Brady has had tight ends he can just toss it up to, but hasn’t had a receiver he can trust to go up and get it consistently since Randy Moss.
Miles Boykin, Notre Dame
You wouldn’t know it thanks to all the attention paid to D.K. Metcalf, but Boykin absolutely crushed his workouts at the combine. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder proved himself as one of the better athletes at the position. On the field, he’s a proven deep threat who can run well after the catch and knows exactly where he needs to be in order to move the chains. Even at his size, he excels in the screen game.
Greg Dortch. Wake Forest
There weren’t many slot receivers in college football over the last couple of years who were more productive than Dortch. He caught 142 passes for 17 scores over the last two seasons. He has all the shift and wiggle you want from a smaller guy who works the middle, and he brings value as a kick and punt returner. His skill set and playing style is eerily similar to that of Wes Welker.
Stanley Morgan, Nebraska
From a maturity standpoint, Morgan is ready to blend into an NFL locker room. Nebraska’s all-time leading receiver is a leader on and off the field, going out of his way to tutor newcomers regularly. He worked hard to grow into the leader his college team needed him to be. On the field, Morgan’s film is filled with one-handed catches and outstanding routes. He was the highlight of some of the darkest days in Nebraska football history in recent years. He’ll be a late-round pick, but a steal, as he’s flat-out more talented than fellow Nebraska alum Quincy Enunwa of the New York Jets.
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