2011 NFL Draft: The New England Patriots Will Be Drafting a 'Big' Wide Receiver

I am going to make this clear for the umpteenth time: the New England Patriots do not need Randy Moss or any "deep threat" wide receiver.

The Patriots didn't lose their Jan. 16 playoff game against the New York Jets because they didn't have Moss or a "deep threat," but because they had inconsistent play from quarterback Tom Brady and the team's receivers were not as physical as the Jets' secondary.

The Patriots' best two wide receivers, Wes Welker and Deion Branch, are both great players, don't get me wrong. They're great route runners, hard workers, they have great hands and know how to get open, but when a physical cornerback jams them at the snap of the ball, they'll struggle.

What New England's offense really needs is a "big" and physical wide receiver that will force themselves in open.

A few players in the 2011 NFL draft class that come to mind are Miami's Leonard Hankerson, Pittsburgh's Jon Baldwin and Kentucky's Randall Cobb—all three of those players are "big" and possess a nice dose of physicality. 

Hankerson, Baldwin and Cobb are all mid-round selections, and the Patriots already have quite a few draft picks, and will likely stockpile on a few more mid-rounders with all the trades that Bill Belichick will be making.

Out of those three players, Baldwin is the only one that raises a few question marks. Will he be too slow? Will he be too methodical? Perhaps—I see Baldwin as a nice, quality red-zone target in the NFL, nothing more than a sub-package wide receiver.

Hankerson and Cobb could very well be quite productive in New England's offense.

Not only will they be big red-zone targets for New England's Tom Brady, but they'll excel in New England's spread-offense—especially Cobb.

Cobb is the kind of player that Belichick will be looking for. He's got great game speed, he's got a high football IQ and he is a hard-worker.

While only being 5'11", Cobb players much bigger than he is due to his great physicality. Cobb is a very physical wide receiver that can force his way open and will not back down from a pressing cornerback at the snap of the ball.

Whether it's Hankerson, Baldwin, or Cobb, the Patriots need to bulk up their wide receivers—literally.

Branch and Welker are very productive players, but they can't always win against physical cornerbacks who jam them at the line of scrimmage.

This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @   TonySantorsa.