2011 NFL Draft: Wide Receiver Prospects the New England Patriots Should Target
The New England Patriots have never successfully drafted and developed a receiver (except Deion Branch), but that doesn't mean they won't try again.
I already stated my case that the Patriots need to add a receiver who can get off a jam. Even if Taylor Price is in their future plans, how much longer are Wes Welker and Deion Branch going to be around?
So it's worth it to look at adding some youth at wide receiver, but who fits the bill in the draft?
The Patriots don't just need another young receiver. Their biggest receiver is 6-1 Brandon Tate, so the Patriots could benefit from adding some size at the wide receiver position. Of course, it's not about the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog, and the Patriots know that so much more than physical attributes and tangibles go into a football player.
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Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh
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After the top two receivers, AJ Green and Julio Jones, there's a bit of a drop-off to the next tier of wide-outs in the draft. Jonathan Baldwin projects as a late-first or early-second round pick, so it might be a bit of a reach for the Patriots to grab him. He adds one thing, though, that the Patriots severely lack—size.
WEEI.com's Christopher Price breaks Baldwin down pretty nicely, though it's important to note Baldwin's derisive comments about the way he was being used in 2010.
He can track down the ball with the best of them, and because of that his big play ability is off the charts. Tom Brady would have a field day just throwing it up to Baldwin to have him go get it.
Drafting Baldwin would be a pretty epic response to Bart Scott's claim that the Patriots have no one the Jets have to respect deep, and would open up a whole new dimension for the Patriots' offense.
Leonard Hankerson, Miami
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The Senior Bowl drastically helped Brandon Graham's stock last year, and could do the same for Hankerson in 2011. Although he's not any bigger than New England's largest receiver, he showed the ability to beat man-to-man coverage at the 2011 Senior Bowl.
National Football Authority's Daniel Wolf put it best of Hankerson when he said, "Hankerson does not have the blazing speed of [AJ] Green or [Julio] Jones, but what he lacks in speed he makes up for with precise route running, body positioning and a giant pair of hands...[he] showed NFL scouts that he is a physical receiver who uses his strength to make up for his average speed."
There are some holes in his game, but he is a coachable talent if he can get over his occasional lapses in concentration.
Tandon Doss, Indiana
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Doss has been receiving rave reviews from Scouts, Inc. and WEEI.com's Christopher Price already. Any questions of his ball skills, though, can be directed to this video. He's not the biggest receiver in the draft at 6-3 and 202 pounds, but he's bigger than any receiver the Patriots have on the roster.
But what makes him a Patriot? He can run the entire rout tree, for one. He's not afraid to go over the middle and has the hands to make the tough catches in traffic, using his big frame to bulldoze his way to good yards after the catch.
He's versatile, and can return kicks and punts.
But most importantly, he's described by Scouts, Inc. as a "quiet, humble and respectful teammate." Sounds like the prime prospect for Bill Belichick, who loves his players to be versatile, hungry and humble.
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Greg Little, North Carolina
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With two picks in the third round and another in the fourth, the Patriots are primed to pick up a player or two (or even three) that may have fallen down the board. After a suspension kept him out for the 2010 season, Little may be one of those guys.
Christopher Price brings up another good point when he says of Little, "The Patriots have liked UNC receivers in the past and present, and in the case of [Brandon] Tate have even been willing to overlook off-field issues. That’s perfect for Little, as he was among the group of Tar Heel players busted for accepting benefits from an agent."
Of course, a year away from football could mean some rust for Little, but if he has the same separation and ball skills as he had in his junior year, he'll be an incredible addition to the Patriots receiving corps. Not only can he catch the passes over the middle, but he also has respectable long speed on fly patterns.
Randall Cobb, Kentucky
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Remember that guy Percy Harvin, the wide receiver that the Vikings supposedly snatched out from under the nose of the New England Patriots?
Randall Cobb is a player in the mold of Dexter McCluster and Percy Harvin. He is so explosive that his skills translate at both wide receiver and running back, making him one of the most flexible offensive threats in the draft. Can you imagine the threat against the Jets defense when he lines up wide and shifts to the backfield before the snap, or vice versa?
He doesn't bring the size that the Patriots lack at receiver, but look at it this way: The Patriots didn't "lack" a big receiver until they lost to the Jets. Before that, they were one of the best offenses of the decade for eight weeks of the 2010 season. Adding a dynamic player like Cobb could only make this unit even scarier.
What About These Guys?
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The two top prospects, A.J. Green and Julio Jones, are both regarded as elite receivers that will translate very well in the NFL due to their size and speed.
Either would provide Tom Brady a deadly No. 1 target in the passing game until Brady ultimately retires. Unfortunately, both are ranked so high on most boards and mock drafts that the chances of either falling to the Patriots at No. 17 are slim.
But certainly, there are other quality receivers in the draft. Are there any you had your eye on that I might have missed? Please discuss in the comments below.
Thanks for reading!
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