Oklahoma State Wide Receiver Dez Bryant Visits Patriots

The Patriots may have taken the first step in preparing for an eventual future without Randy Moss.

According to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, New England hosted Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant at Gillette Stadium on Thursday. The talented wideout is considered a top-15 prospect in this month's NFL draft.

Bryant caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards in 12 games with the Cowboys in 2008, but he missed all but three games last season after he was suspended by the NCAA for lying about whether or not he had trained with former NFL star Deion Sanders.

Scouts view the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Bryant as the top available wide-receiver prospect. He has already visited Miami, Cincinnati, Dallas and Pittsburgh.

New England possesses the No. 22 pick in the first round of the draft.