How Patriots Depth Chart At Receiver Looks With New Addition

Taking action at the wide receiver position should have been high up on the to-do list for the New England Patriots this offseason.

The Patriots have addressed the position … well, somewhat.

There’s still a lot of time left in the offseason to do something, but the bulk of free agency is over and New England only made a small handful of moves regarding wideouts. They really didn’t give the positional group a major shakeup compared to what it resembled last year.

Sure, the Patriots cut ties with DeVante Parker and re-signed Kendrick Bourne and Jalen Reagor while also bringing in K.J. Osborn. But those moves shouldn’t have Patriots fans expecting much more out of New England’s receivers, which routinely failed to provide any explosive plays in an inept offensive unit.

The Patriots can still find upgrades at the position through the draft or in the trade market, but for now, this is how the receiver depth chart looks:

K.J. Osborn
Kendrick Bourne
DeMario Douglas
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Tyquan Thornton
Jalen Reagor
Kayshon Boutte

That’s certainly not a group that will strike fear into opposing defenses and one that comes with plenty of questions. Can Osborn handle being a No. 1 receiver? He provided steady production the last three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, but was never a top option due to the presence of Justin Jefferson and getting passed over by 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison.

Then there is the question with Bourne and how he will bounce back after tearing his ACL last season. If Bourne is healthy — he’s adamant that he’s ahead of schedule with his rehab and will be ready for training camp — he showed he can be a reliable option for whoever will be at quarterback for the Patriots.

Douglas flashed during his rookie season, totaling 49 receptions for 561 yards and no touchdowns. But Douglas missed three games due to injury and it’s not foolish to question whether his 5-foot-8, 192-pound frame can withstand the pounding of a 17-game NFL season.

Smith-Schuster looked like a shell of himself during his first season with the Patriots and basically the only thing he has going for him is that he is a veteran. If his knee doesn’t miraculously heal, he probably won’t provide much of anything to New England’s offense again.

Then there is Thornton, a 2022 second-round pick who already looks like a bust. He only had 13 receptions for 91 yards last season.

Getting further down the depth chart, not much should be expected out of Reagor and who knows if Boutte will even be on the team after he got arrested this offseason amid an alleged gambling scandal.

It’s a unit that doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence and might only perform slightly better than last season’s group.

The Patriots seem intent on adding to the positional group through the draft rather than the trade market. That’s fine. Hitting on a wide receiver, or perhaps even two, that can make impact plays right away would make a monumental difference for the offense.

But given the status of New England’s receivers at the moment, they can’t afford to miss on the wideouts they take. That’s something they are all too familiar with in the past.