Why Will Fuller Should Be the New England Patriots' No. 1 Draft Target

The New England Patriots' free-agency inaction has reaffirmed a growing sentiment concerning the team's progression into next season: offensive line improvement isn't its main area of concern.

Adding a speedy, big-play wide receiver is, and former Notre Dame star Will Fuller fills that criteria perfectly.

Yes, the offensive line's woeful performance in the AFC Championship Game ultimately sunk the Patriots, but health played a larger role in that than a simple lack of talent. The Patriots will get a healthy offensive line for next season, one that is among the best in the league at full health.

Nate Solder will be returning next season after an early-season trip to injured reserve. Sebastian Vollmer will remain at right tackle, while Josh Kline will compete with the young interior lineman for their own starting jobs over the course of the offseason.

Throw in the return of legendary Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, and it's all but guaranteed that the 2016 Patriots' offensive line will not be a liability.

But when looking at New England's wide receiver corps, can the same be said for it?

Brandon LaFell is now gone, which was a necessary move but still requires a replacement. Julian Edelman is electric (assuming his foot stays intact), but he can't do everything. Danny Amendola can make some plays, but he has neither the skill nor the consistency to be a reliable No. 2 or No. 3 target.

Even adding Chris Hogan, the team announced Friday, won't change things too much, and that's to say nothing of what little the Patriots will get out of Aaron Dobson and Keshawn Martin.

What the Patriots need is a versatile receiver with blazing speed who can take the top off a defense, allowing the likes of Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and Dion Lewis to do their thing underneath or down the seam.

That's why Fuller is such a perfect fit for the Patriots.

The first thing that comes to mind when watching Fuller is his world-class speed. Check out his two 40-yard dash times at the NFL combine, the former of which was officially clocked at 4.32 seconds.

Obviously, a player's 40-time isn't indicative of their exact speed on the field. But Fuller is still fast, and he uses that to his advantage on long routes:

The Patriots haven't had a receiver with consistent big-play ability since Randy Moss, and it reflects on Tom Brady's deep throw stats.

Check out Brady's completion percentage on throws of 21 yards or more:

Season	Vertical Threat	Pass Completions/Attempts	Completion %
2007	Yes - Moss	28/69	40.6%
2011	No	15/47	31.9%
2012	No	22/68	32.4%
2013	No	15/65	23.1%
2014	No	12/48	25%
2015	No	20/60	33.3%

You'll notice that Brady actually had a decent year in 2015 after two dismal seasons before then, but his numbers are still lackluster—nothing close to the sensational Brady-to-Randy Moss deep bomb connections of 2007.

These stats aren't meant to indicate that Fuller would step right in and become "Moss Version 2.0." Rather, they are simply meant to show that the Patriots would undoubtedly benefit from a strong vertical threat like Fuller.

The term "big-play ability" isn't limited to making plays on deep passes, and Fuller is no exception. He is also talented on screen plays, a specialty in New England's offense.

Watch Fuller put the moves on several Syracuse defenders after catching a screen pass:

Chances are that most of Fuller's production in 2016 will be limited to short passes that allow him to utilize his breakaway speed and elusiveness in open space, which is fine.

The question is, will he even be available by the time New England goes on the clock?

At the moment, the Patriots hold three picks in the first three rounds: No. 60, No. 91 and No. 96 overall (compensatory selection—not tradable). The Patriots would need Fuller to fall to No. 60. 

After Fuller's spectacular combine, that doesn't appear likely at this point. However, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where he's projected to land.

NFL.com's Chad Reuter has Fuller going to the 49ers at No. 37, while Eddie Brown of the San Diego Union-Tribune mocks him to the Chargers at No. 35. CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco has him going in the first round to the Bengals at No. 24, while none of NFL.com's four main draft analysts have Fuller going in Round 1.

The message is clear: No one really knows where Fuller will end up. Still, the Patriots are fully capable of trading up for Fuller if they wish.

Using Pro Football Talk's draft trade chart—which assigns a certain value to each pick in the draft—I've come up with a potential trade between the Patriots and Chargers for New England to move up and snag Fuller.

Patriots Receive: No. 35 overall selection (Fuller)

Chargers Receive: No. 60, No. 91, 2017 Round 3 selection

Though head coach Bill Belichick seldom trades up, Fuller is worth the investment—and the team still keeps their No. 96 pick to address any other issues. (A running back would be nice.)

All in all, the Patriots are in a good position right now. They entered free agency with few needs to fill and a talented roster that is getting healthier by the minute. They only lack one thing: a speedy, big-play wide receiver like Fuller.

Fuller is highly attainable, but it's up to the Patriots to go get him.