The New England Patriots don’t have a dire need at wide receiver entering the 2018 NFL Draft, but they’re showing plenty of interest in some of the top wideouts available.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Tuesday reported the Patriots have met privately with SMU’s Courtland Sutton, a big-bodied former basketball player who is projected as a first- or second-round pick.
Sutton, who measured in at 6-foot-3, 218 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, put up big numbers for the Mustangs, catching 31 touchdown passes over his final three collegiate seasons and surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last two. He’s praised for his size and physicality, but scouts believe his route-running needs work.
The 22-year-old is considered one of the best receiver prospects in this year’s draft class. He’s met with at least four teams during the pre-draft process and is scheduled to work out for another this weekend, per Rapoport’s source.
Sutton isn’t the only top-flight wideout the Patriots have been linked to.
According to various reports, New England also has either met with or worked out Maryland’s D.J. Moore, Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk, Oklahoma State’s James Washington and Penn State’s DaeSean Hamilton, the latter of whom discussed his meeting with Patriots receivers coach Chad O’Shea in an interview with NESN.com.
Moore, Kirk and Sutton ranked second, third and fourth, respectively, among receiver prospects in NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock’s latest positional rankings.
The Patriots have made several high-profile changes to their receiving corps this offseason, allowing Danny Amendola to walk in free agency and trading Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams while signing Jordan Matthews and trading for Cordarrelle Patterson.
The Cooks trade netted New England the 23rd overall pick in this year’s draft, giving it four selections in the first two rounds and eight overall.
