Patriots Position Breakdown: Wide Receivers Missing One Thing

Welcome to Patriots Position Breakdown, a 10-part series on NESN.com where we dive deep into each of New England’s position groups prior to the start of training camp.

The Patriots undoubtedly made upgrades to their receiving corps this offseason, but it seems the lack of a splash move has people still feeling sour regarding the unit’s overall outlook heading into 2024.

Brandon Aiyuk is still in San Francisco. Tee Higgins is still in Cincinnati. Calvin Ridley chose Tennessee.

New England isn’t devoid of talent, though.

We aren’t suggesting this unit couldn’t use a No. 1, we just don’t think they need much more than that. If you’re of the belief that Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker and DeMario Douglas are legitimate building blocks, you have to think the Patriots are in a pretty good spot.

Roster Overview

– Ja’Lynn Polk
– Javon Baker
– DeMario Douglas
– Kendrick Bourne
– K.J. Osborn
– JuJu Smith-Schuster
– Kayshon Boutte
– Tyquan Thornton
– Jalen Reagor
– Kawaan Baker
– David Wallis
– JaQuae Jackson

New England’s biggest knock in recent seasons is that it has a collection of No. 3 options in the wide receiver room. We can’t argue against that, but with increased options comes the chance for guys like Polk and Baker to surpass the expectations put on them.

Bourne is an interesting case because we’ve seen him be extremely productive when healthy, but he might need a bit to get going after ACL surgery. Osborn is another guy who has been productive, but what does he look like without Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Adam Thielen? Douglas is the slot guy, but is he better served in a gadget role?

The Patriots look like they’ll rely heavily on Polk and Baker in their rookie seasons, which might not be a bad way of doing business. You can’t expect them to right the ship completely in 2024, but a good start might come in the form of finding one or two legit options to build with.

Biggest Question(s)

— Who will be their eventual No. 1 guy?
Let’s just say the Patriots don’t currently roster Drake Maye’s eventual top target. Who does that end up being? Aiyuk’s trade request has placed him at the top of the leaderboard, but given Eliot Wolf’s desire to draft and develop, that guy might still be in college.

Mizzou’s Luther Burden III, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka are some top options heading into the season.

— How productive can Polk and Baker be?
The answer to this question probably has more to do with Maye’s eventual graduation to starting. We saw him target fellow rookies early and often throughout the spring, so there’s no reason to expect things will change once the season begins.

— Who makes the cut?
Polk, Baker, Douglas and Bourne (if healthy) all look like locks. Osborn probably can be added to that group, which means Smith-Schuster, Boutte, Thornton, Reagor and the others are fighting for one, maybe two, spots.

Grade

– B-

If Aiyuk was added to this unit we could be talking about one of the deepest in the entire NFL. He’ll still be wearing garnet and gold this season, though, so we’re left watching a unit that is really only missing one piece — and one that is much better than many think.