There aren't many players that receive national praise on the New England Patriots' current roster, except for Kendrick Bourne, who's suddenly become a darling among the national media.
After being Pro Football Focus' choice for the Patriots' best contract, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne was identified as the teams most underrated player by Football Outsiders' Scott Spratt.
Here's what Spratt had to say about his selection:
With a career high of 74 targets, Bourne has fallen well short of the 100-catch and 1,000-yard benchmarks that earn receivers the most attention. But not even Cooper Kupp or Davante Adams could match Bourne for efficiency last season.
The Patriots receiver led his position (minimum 50 targets) with a 30.1% receiving DVOA. And he ranked in the top 12 at the position with both a 7.0 receiving plus/minus -- which estimates that he caught seven more passes than an average receiver with his distribution of targets -- and 7.0 average yards after the catch.
Bourne's arrival to New England was relatively understated considering the fact his 3-year, $15 million contract was just a fraction of the priciest free agent class in team history. He easily outperformed expectations with a career-high 55 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
Bourne was also the most explosive player on New England's roster a year ago, leading the team with a 19.5% explosive-play percentage. With a year under his belt, plus what should be improved quarterback play out of Mac Jones, there's a good chance Bourne's stock continues to rise.
