Patriots' Mohamed Sanu 'Way Ahead of the Curve' After Ankle Surgery, Per Trainer

New England Patriots wide receiver Mohamed Sanu's trainer gave a positive update Wednesday regarding the wideout's recovery from offseason ankle surgery.

According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, Hilton Alexander said: "I would tell you he's probably faster, quicker, leaner and in better shape now than prior to the surgery. I would say he's way ahead of any doctor's knowledge or prediction where he would have been at this point. Way ahead of the curve."

The Pats acquired Sanu from the Atlanta Falcons in October for a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, but a high ankle sprain prevented Sanu from contributing as much as expected.

Sanu suffered the injury in his third game with the Patriots, and Alexander noted he was a "shell of himself" afterward. Alexander also discussed why a high ankle sprain is so tough to work through:

"That's one of the worst injuries you can get. It takes so much time to heal. Being that he's a receiver, the ability to cut is probably one of your greatest assets. It hinders your ability to be able to cut as precisely as you want to. That's why he wasn't as dynamic as he wanted to be toward the end of the season."

In 15 games split between the Falcons and Patriots last season, Sanu finished with 59 receptions for 520 yards and two touchdowns, which was his worst production since 2015 when he had 33 grabs for 394 yards and no touchdowns in his final season as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

There was a great deal of excitement when the Pats acquired Sanu as an outside complement to slot receiver Julian Edelman, especially after Sanu racked up 10 catches for 81 yards and a score in his second game with the Pats.

After that performance, however, Sanu did not score again and didn't finish with more than three receptions or 35 yards in a game.

Sanu is just two years removed from a career season that saw him make 66 grabs for 838 yards and four touchdowns. New England would benefit greatly from his returning to that form in 2020 given the state of the offense.

The Patriots lost veteran quarterback Tom Brady in free agency, meaning second-year man Jarrett Stidham is likely to take over. They also didn't draft any receivers, so they'll heavily lean on the trio of Sanu, Edelman and 2019 first-round pick N'Keal Harry.

New England is used to being the heavy favorite in the NFC East, but because of the loss of Brady and the emergence of the Buffalo Bills, that is no longer the case.

If the Patriots are to compete in the division, they'll need Stidham to develop quickly, and a return to form for Sanu could aid significantly in his development.