Four Receivers Patriots Could Target On Day 2 Of NFL Draft

FOXBORO, Mass. — After selecting quarterback Drake Maye with their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots almost certainly will add a wide receiver Friday night.

And they’ll have the opportunity to fill that position of need with a highly-regarded player. Because regardless of what the receiver-needy Buffalo Bills do with their 33rd overall pick, the Patriots will be on the clock at No. 34 and there will be at least one receiver with a first-round grade still available.

It’s why the Patriots should target a receiver instead of an offensive tackle in the second round. They either get good value with a receiver or reach on a tackle.

We’ve highlighted four receivers the Patriots could target on Day 2, including a pair who surely will fly off the board early and maybe another one or two who could hang around a bit longer.

Adonai Mitchell, Texas
Mitchell has outstanding size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and speed (4.34 40-yard dash). He’s a good route-runner for a big receiver and is viewed as an ideal X receiver. That’s a position the Patriots sorely need given its current group includes more inside-outside players like Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, etc. NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah views Mitchell as his third-best player available, behind only a pair of defensive players in cornerback Cooper DeJean and defensive tackle Jer-Zhan Newton.

Ladd McConkey, Georgia
McConkey has been called arguably the best route-runner in the class. He’s a little undersized (6-foot, 186 pounds), but his quickness off the line and shiftiness after the catch cause defenders to miss. McConkey ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Jeremiah viewed McConkey as the No. 30 overall prospect and now sees him as the sixth-best player still available behind Mitchell and four defenders.

Keon Coleman, Florida State
Coleman is another big receiver (6-foot-3, 213 pounds) who can make contested catches in traffic. NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein called him an “above-the-rim artist,” which paints a pretty clear picture itself. However, Coleman is not a straight-line fast as either Mitchell or McConkey (4.61 40-yard dash) and doesn’t have the same acceleration in his route-running. Leading up to the draft, Jeremiah ranked Coleman his No. 42 overall prospect and now lists him 12th available (No. 3 wideout). With the other two still on the board, Coleman might not be New England’s pick at No. 34. But a trade down in the second round could lead to Coleman coming to New England.

Jalen McMillan, Washington
McMillan has been referred to as a “juiced-up” Jakobi Meyers, which Patriots fans surely will love the sound of given Meyers’ production in New England. Given the options still available at the top of the second round, McMillan almost certainly will not be the pick at 34th overall. Most view McMillan, primarily as a slot receiver, with a third-round grade. ESPN views McMillan as the fifth-best receiver option still available behind the three names previously mentioned and McMillan’s teammate at Washington, Ja’Lynn Polk. Jeremiah ranked McMillan outside of his top 100 prospects. The Patriots will be back on the clock at No. 68 in the third round.