The New England Patriots will host meetings with a number of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL draft during the team’s trip to the combine in Indianapolis over the next week.
It sounds like the Patriots will not shy away from the top receivers. They are planning to interview at least three of the top players at the position, according to Outkick’s Armando Salguero. That’s common for New England, which sets up these sorts of interviews throughout the pre-draft process, whether it’s at the Senior Bowl, at Gillette Stadium, at Pro Day workouts or at the combine. But it feels notable that New England, which seems to need a true WR1, is conducting so many interviews at the position at the combine.
Here’s what Salguero reported:
“The Patriots will be meeting with Chris Olave of Ohio State, Treylon Burks of Arkansas and Jameson Williams of Alabama among others, according to the source. And the club will be conducting these interviews back-to-back-to-back so as to directly compare the players one against another.”
The draft boasts a deep group of receivers, including USC’s Drake London and Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson. Those two and the three the Patriots are reportedly meeting are among the draft’s top five wideoutss.
New England’s top receivers include Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor and N’Keal Harry. Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski are restricted free agency. Bourne and Meyers were the most productive receivers in 2021, and Agholor was the largest disappointment. If the team drafts a receiver, it may be in preparation for the departures of Agholor — and maybe even Meyers.
