As the New England Patriots begin to look towards the NFL draft, director of player personnel Matt Groh knows that time is of the essence when acquiring a star receiver.
The Patriots did so at the beginning of April, acquiring wideout DeVante Parker in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Parker is coming off a 2021 season that saw him record 40 catches for 515 yards and two touchdowns. He enters a Patriots wide receiver room looking for additional playmakers.
In speaking with the media on Friday, Groh shared his philosophy in regards to acquiring impact receivers.
“We’ve got another good class of wide receivers this year (in the draft), and I think it’s just going to keep coming,” Groh said. “Whenever teams are going to add instant-impact players — which is what these wide receivers are in the game today — they’re going to do it. And you can’t just sit around and wait and hope to get these guys in the draft. You have to be proactive about going to get one of them (in free agency and in the trade market).”
The addition of Parker bolsters the Patriots wide receiving unit. Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers headline a group that looks to flourish in Mac Jones’ second year under center. With this draft being deep at the wide receiver position, the Patriots could potentially add to that positional group at the end of the month.
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