NFL Draft 2011: Is Kentucky WR Chris Matthews a Fit for New England Patriots?

The 2011 NFL Draft rumors have already begun flying around the web.

Just yesterday, Kentucky wide receiver Chris Matthews tweeted that he would be working out privately for the New England Patriots.

WEEI.com's Christopher Price already put together a nice piece about the type of character Matthews brings to the locker room.

In that regard, he should be considered a perfect match for the Patriots.

A receiver who willingly blocks linebackers? Why the heck not?

He's not the fastest receiver in the draft—Matthews ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at his recent Pro Day after running near 4.6 at the Combine. This disparity shows his inconsistency with explosion off the line of scrimmage.

To his benefit, he ran the three-cone drill in 6.89 seconds and that drill is traditionally one that the Patriots focus on heavily in their late-round receivers.

What else does he bring? How about a whole mess of size and physicality.

His 6'5", 219-pound frame will be too much for many NFL corners to overcome. He just has to learn how to use it, as he is yet unrefined in terms of his ability to beat press coverage.

Sure, Matthews only played two years in the SEC at Kentucky, but that experience is bound to earn him brownie points with Bill Belichick, who loves players from any of the big conferences.

Not only does he have experience against stiff competition, he excelled at that. His first year at Kentucky wasn't very dominant, but Matthews really lit it up last year with 61 receptions for 925 yards and nine touchdowns.

Perhaps that's the biggest knock on him: having just one year of big success.

That's why he'll probably drop into a later round, where the Patriots will have an opportunity to snare him up before other teams are any wiser.