With how 2019 ended, there’s reasonable certainty that the New England Patriots need to address the wide receiving corps this offseason.
While the team does have guys like Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu returning, coupled with another year of first-round talent N’Keal Harry, the team certainly shouldn’t feel satisfied.
They have added to that corps by signing speedster Damiere Byrd, and have continued showing interest in Phillip Dorsett, but that’s far from enough. They’re going to need to look to the draft for more reinforcements.
And no better time to integrate young talent than with a second-year quarterback that needs to establish rapport with all of his receivers.
It’s highly unlikely that Belichick opts to draft another offensive skill player in the first round after doing so with N’Keal Harry and Sony Michel the previous two seasons, so who will be available in the middle rounds?
K.J. Hill – Ohio State Buckeyes
Hill isn’t one of those guys who jumps off the page at you. His stats during his four years at Ohio State were enough to make him the team’s all-time leading receiver, but his numbers never truly exploded.
His career-high in receptions and yards (70 and 885) came in his junior year, while his high for touchdowns (10) came in his senior year.
Some of his best traits include soft hands and a great ability to run routes. However, his small build limits his ability to fight through contact at just about any point down the field.
He runs quite the limited route tree but can be an effective slot receiver, which is certainly ideal considering Julian Edelman will be 34 in May. While he doesn’t project as a top-flight receiver, he can definitely create yards for himself after the catch. As a result, he serves a purpose in the right situation.
Oh, and he was used as a punt returner during his time at Ohio State.
Collin Johnson – Texas Longhorns
In his four years in the Big 12, the 22-year-old racked up 188 receptions for 2,624 yards and 15 touchdowns.
What Johnson has going for him is the fact he’s an absolute monster in terms of build. At 6-foot-6, 221 pounds, Johnson can often rely on his body to box out defensive backs and gain possession of the football.
However, that can be both a blessing and a curse.
At the same time, Johnson isn’t the greatest at beating press coverage off the line of scrimmage and tends to struggle to create separation against man-to-man defense. As a result, he then becomes forced to turn into a possession receiver, limiting his yards after the catch. It’s one thing to use your body as a crutch in times of need, it’s another when it’s your only resource. However, time will tell on his translation to the NFL.
Perhaps he’d be better suited as a tight end, which also makes him an ideal target for the Patriots.
Antonio Gandy-Golden – Liberty Flames
Much like Collin Johnson, Gandy-Golden is a big-bodied receiver. While not quite to the same extent (6-foot-4, 222 pounds), he definitely possesses a big, strong body that could bode well for him at the next level.
While footage of him from Liberty indicates his route-running is far from polished, he does have some decent footwork on the snap. As a result, it creates a decent ability to create separation from opposing defensive backs.
In his two years for the Flames, he had 2,433 yards and 20 touchdowns across 150 receptions. While that’s all in the Independent “conference,” and they play teams like the University of Massachusetts: Amherst, that doesn’t take away from a person’s ability to catch the football.
The major knock on Gandy-Golden is his far from complex route tree. He seems destined to mesh well in vertically-oriented offenses, like Kansas City, New Orleans, or even Baltimore. However, scouts rave about his hands and ability to win jump-balls due to his size, so he could be worth taking a flier in the fourth round or perhaps even the sixth if he’s still available.
Bryan Edwards – South Carolina Gamecocks
Noticing a trend here? At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Edwards has the build of a receiver that could pose a physical threat at the next level.
However, scouts do question whether or not that potential will ever be exercised, as the South Carolina product tends to handcuff himself by not getting good separation off the line of scrimmage. He showed a willingness to use his hands to fight for position, but that wouldn’t be necessary if he got himself in a better position off the snap.
He was a reliable target for the most part for South Carolina, racking up 234 receptions, 3,045 yards, and 22 touchdowns in his four years. However, analysts noted that he tended to lose focus at times and commit a bad drop.
He has great footwork and all of the necessary tools to become more explosive off the line and has shown capabilities of being a great pass-catcher with the ability to create plays out of nothing. He was used a lot in the dink-and-dunk game and had great success with it due to his physicality, which is something New England lacked in 2019.
