As the NFL Draft approaches, it is always interesting to look at mock drafts and see who the Patriots could land. A new mock draft came out on Wednesday that had the Patriots landing a wide receiver.
In his latest mock draft, Henry McKenna of For The Win had the Patriots selecting LSU wideout Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson was a key part of the LSU passing game . Led by quarterback Joe Burrow, the LSU wide receivers thrived. For his part, Jefferson caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. Those numbers were certainly a step up from the 875 receiving yards and six touchdowns he recorded the year before.
The New England Patriots certainly need depth at the wide receiver position. Led by veteran Julian Edelman, this wide receiving unit lacks explosive playmaking. Jefferson would certainly fit that mold. Measuring in at six-foot-three, 192 pounds, Jefferson has tremendous leaping ability, and would give the next New England quarterback a weapon to throw to. In his piece, McKenna had this to say about Jefferson.
“My initial thought was for the Patriots to A) trade back (because they don’t have a second round pick) or B) take center Cesar Ruiz. But Jefferson is too perfect for their offense. He’s versatile, athletic and productive. If Jefferson, N’Keal Harry and lesser-known receiver Jakobi Meyers continue to develop, the Patriots offense might have a group of strong wideouts that Tom Brady never seemed to have (except in 2007).”
Drafting Jefferson would certainly add use to the wide receiver position for New England. As McKenna alludes to, that would give New England a triple threat of young receivers with potential. With depth being a huge issue at the position for New England in 2019, drafting Jefferson would undoubtedly help the passing game.
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