Patriots Plan: Does Torry Holt Signing Impact New England's Draft Plans?

The Patriots' signing of Torry Holt on Tuesday didn't exactly send shock waves through the NFL. It took approximately 48 days for Holt to strike the pen to the paper in New England.

After the signing, though, the Patriots had a little over 48 hours to re-assess their draft scenarios. Adding a player with Holt's credentials could understandably decrease the draft stock for receivers in New England.

To be perfectly honest, though, the signing certainly doesn't impact their draft plans all too much. At 33 years old, Holt isn't getting any younger, and the Patriots have significant questions at the wide receiver position in terms of age and health already. Not to mention the one-year deal the Patriots tabbed him with.

They are still one of the most heavily pass-based offenses in the league, and could always use more talent at wide receiver where they've been rapidly thinning as of late.

With Belichick's draft fascination for the highest value player, it's possible that they could scoop up Dez Bryant if he falls to them at No. 22. In fact, that's what several fans would like to happen .

I think it's much less likely now than it would have been without Holt, though. The Patriots don't need anyone to step into the third-option role immediately. They can feel pretty comfortable with Holt as their slot option for now, and could still do pretty nicely for themselves with a wide receiver in the second round.

Truth be told, they haven't hit on second-round wide receivers in the past few years. With forgettable names like Chad Jackson and Bethel Johnson, it's understandable why they'd shy away.

But what about Deion Branch, the former Super Bowl MVP from Louisville who was supposedly too small and received a second-round grade?

Who knows, with how deep the draft class is at wide receiver, the Patriots may be lucky enough to scoop up a second-round player who can step into that role immediately.

A few guys to keep your eyes on are Andre Roberts from Citadel, Brandon Lafell of LSU, and Damian Williams from USC.

With how much Belichick loves to pass recently, I'm sure the Patriots could find a use for any of the draft's deep receiver class.