From Mike Reiss
10. Did you know: Patriots wide receivers combined for 103 receiving first downs last season, ranking 28th in the NFL. In addition, the Patriots were the first team since the 2009 Rams to go an entire season without a player having a 100-yard receiving game.
Consider that since Belichick arrived in New England in 2000, he's selected just 18 receivers in the draft. That is tied for the fifth-lowest total over that span and doesn't take into account that six of those receivers were picked in the seventh/final round, and one is a special-teams-only option (
Matthew Slater).
The
Ravens (30),
Bengals (30) and
Packers (29) have drafted the most receivers since 2000, with Green Bay viewed by many as one of the most impressive teams when it comes to developing prospects at the position. The
Steelers (23), just above the league average of 22.5, are also widely regarded as excellent.
The Patriots' acquisition of
DeVante Parker in a trade last week might lessen the immediate need for a receiver, but there is still a future void to consider with
Jakobi Meyers and
Nelson Agholor scheduled for unrestricted free agency, and
Kendrick Bourne another solid season away from possibly being in position to request a pay raise himself.
Then consider the recent run of big-money extensions for receivers creating sticker shock for some around the NFL --
Davante Adams (five years, $141.25 million, $65 million guaranteed),
Tyreek Hill (four years, $120 million, $75 million guaranteed),
Stefon Diggs (four years, $104 million, $70 million guaranteed) -- and teams might now prioritize drafting receivers more than they have in the past.
"When you start throwing that money around, if it's a quarterback, I get it. If it's a pass-rusher, I get it. Guys that are impacting games all the time. With a receiver -- they're important don't get me wrong, but a good defensive coordinator can take them out of the game plan," said Scot McCloughan, the former
Washington and
San Francisco general manager who now works as an independent scouting consultant for NFL teams.
"So now you're lucky if he touches the ball 6-8 times a game ... it's just who's going to impact the game the most."
McCloughan added that the price can always be justified if a team feels it's close to a championship, but he views the draft -- and getting quality production on players on cheaper rookie contracts -- as becoming even more critical.
This echoes something ESPN draft analyst
Jordan Reid pointed out: "With wide receivers projected to make so much money after their rookie deals, we could see teams elect to simply turn to the draft to restock the talent of that player instead of paying him."
This is one reason Belichick and the less-than-average investment at receiver could be costly (financially and otherwise) for the Patriots if it continues.
It doesn't necessarily have to be at pick No. 21, although it's always good to be aware of receiver-needy teams like Green Bay (No. 22) and
Kansas City (Nos. 29 and 30) lurking behind them. Prospects such as Ohio State's
Chris Olave, Alabama's
Jameson Williams, Penn State's
Jahan Dotson and Arkansas'
Treylon Burks would be among those to consider in the first round.
In a draft considered deep at receiver, there should be plenty of options through the middle rounds to consider as well (ESPN's Matt Bowen identified Boise State's
Khalil Shakir as a
fit for New England in the middle rounds).
McCloughan, who got his start in the NFL as a regional scout with the Packers and remembers current Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf attending meetings as a youngster to see his father (GM Ron Wolf), said one of the biggest challenges of being a GM was adjusting to the market when salaries spiked.
"I think that's kind of what's going on now [at receiver]," he said.
The position generally has not been a draft priority under Belichick, but that could change with top WRs getting huge contracts this offseason.
www.espn.com
