The Patriots seem like they will either make a move for a wide receiver in free agency or draft one.
If I am the Patriots, I don’t feel too stressed about obtaining a free agent receiver. We are sitting pretty with the 21st overall pick in the draft.
I am eyeing the Alabama receivers that would fit right in with our team: John Metchie and Jameson Williams.
Williams is a great player and it is projected that he will be the first of the two taken off the board. If Williams is still there at pick 21, I would hope the Patriots would take him and then look for Metchie in round 2. Although, I am personally higher on Metchie if I had to pick one.
If Williams goes and the Patriots do end up wanting to draft Metchie early they might be able to trade down, as I don’t believe other teams would find him as valuable. I could see Metchie going somewhere in the second round as there are receivers like Chris Olave and Treylon Burks expected to go ahead of him.
Why John Metchie?
Metchie has experience playing with Mac Jones. While playing with Mac, Metchie had 916-yards and 6 touchdowns. He may not seem like a clear first-round pick but remember DeVonta Smith was on that team and he caught 23-touchdowns with over 1800 yards. You can only do so much with the Heisman on the other side of you.
Metchie showed improvement into his 2021 season. He finished the year with 96 receptions and 1100 yards with 8-touchdowns, playing with Bryce Young.
Chemistry
The connection of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase may have brought something into the NFL light that hasn’t necessarily been a thing in the past, reuniting college wide receivers to their college quarterbacks, regardless of their draft projection.
A lot of people doubted the Bengal’s decision to draft a wide receiver over a lineman. Although, we now know how great of a decision that was.
I think it would work well for the Patriots. Metchie may not be the superstar that Chase is, but he is still a star. The chemistry is there and the Patriots are already in a good spot as a team. He would be a great fit, but don’t just take it from me, take it from Metchie himself..
Could Mac Jones and John Metchie run it back in New England? ? pic.twitter.com/RZYlDcTRnb
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) March 7, 2022
Metchie is an all-around player. He can run all sorts of routes and play on all parts of the field. I think inserting him into the lineup would feel natural. I would be happy to see the Patriots reach on him.
As of Now
The Patriots have Nelson Agholor for one more year and Kendrick Bourne for two more years. Both seem to be happy with their roles and there is plenty of room for improvement.
Jakobi Meyers is currently a free agent but there is the belief that he will stay in New England. The Patriots used a second-round tender on him. I think he likes it here and would be comfortable adding another playmaker. He led the team in yards last year with 866.
Gunner Olzewski is also a free agent but I don’t think the Patriots will have too much trouble retaining him. He has a solidified role as punt returner and could be making a jump to more playing time.
I think the Patriots could build a solid core without spending too much money.
Tight Ends
Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry might be the engine of this offense. Hunter Henry had a year. He finished with 600-yards and nine touchdowns, coming in a four-way tie for most TD’s in the league, amongst tight ends. He was an ultimate red-zone threat for Rookie Mac.
Jonnu can’t possibly be any less of a factor going forward. He has it in him to be just as efficient as Henry. If he can make half of that jump, the offense would be in a really good spot.
When you take all of our pass catchers and add another, that would make an immediate impact, it compiles for a very solid unit. Everyone would be able to do their part. I get it that it’s fun to watch Davante Adams catch 17 touchdowns but how fun would it be to watch 7 different players catch 6 -touchdowns each. I think something like that is very possible, especially with Mac Jones.
Running Backs
The Running back room seems to be figured out. They accounted for 24 rushing touchdowns and combined for over 800-yards receiving, even with the loss of James White. White is set to become a free agent as well but if he returns he could make things easier on Mac.
Looking Forward
Things will become more clear as time moves on. There is an obvious void left by J.C Jackson but we have some young cornerbacks on the roster and we could always draft another.
With the news of Devin McCourty re-signing, Dont’a Hightower would be the next question. It seems like he would most likely stay put and trust the process.
Although finding a replacement for Hightower may not be as critical as one may think. The Patriots drafted that player last year. His name is Cameron McGrone. Unfortunately, we did not get to see him play in his rookie season as he was recovering from an injury, but he should be seeing the field this year. He was the 177th-overall pick in the 5th-round last year, out of Michigan. I trust the Patriots drafting linebackers at this point so I think he could be impactful.
Another defensive player we did not get to see is Ronnie Perkins. Perkins is more of an edge rusher. He should be a great compliment to Mathew Judon. I think the Patriot’s defense will be successful in 2022.
Some things will change before the draft but that does not change my mindset on drafting these Bama receivers. I am hopeful that at least one of them will be in Foxborough to start the next season.
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