Giardi: Not a top heavy class, but there's plenty of WRs who can help the Patriots

While I acknowledge that improving the offensive line remains the Patriots' most significant need, a defense-altering wide receiver is second on the list. If close to pre-injury form, Stefon Diggs can undoubtedly help in that area, but asking someone from the Douglas/Polk/Baker/Boutte group to become that is...aggressive. 

The Pats haven't had a gameplan-worthy wideout since Jakobi Meyers, and when he was facing some bracket coverage, it said as much about those around him as it did about him (and I write that being a big Meyers guy). Is there that kind of player in the draft? Of course. There always are, even if this class isn’t nearly on the same level as in recent years. The question is: can this organization find him? Eliot Wolf, Matt Groh, and Camren Williams (Director of College Scouting) have been around for a while. There are a couple of productive players on their resume (Pop and Kayshon), but there’s plenty not to like about the team’s draft history and these guys' involvement.

Mike Vrabel’s time in Tennessee produced one bonafide star, second-rounder A.J. Brown. However, the five other wideouts picked during his tenure as head coach delivered absolutely jack squat (including first-rounder Treylon Burks). 

Tier 1

Travis Hunter (Colorado) - Has never been truly coached to play the position, yet he does things on offense that have drawn comparisons to Garrett Wilson and DeVonta Smith. Both were drafted in the top 10. They played one way while Hunter played both.

“I think his ceiling is as a top 5 receiver in football,” said one scout who has studied him the last two years. “More Justin Jefferson than those other guys (Wilson and Smith).”

Why?

“Can get over the top of you. Unreal body control. Terrific when the ball is in the air. Bendy. Terrific when the ball is in his hands. I’ve seen him get wrecked and bounce back up.”

66.7% contested catch rate is absurd for someone who weighs in the 180s. 

The concerns for Hunter are his ability to handle press coverage (again, not the biggest fella) and, if he plays both ways, whether he’ll sharpen up as much as he needs to, having not been schooled in the art of the position.

Tet McMillan (Arizona) - Was better in 2023 than in ’24, but the Wildcats fell apart after the coach (Jedd Fisch) left for the University of Washington. “They couldn’t do anything on offense unless they got him the ball,” said a college scouting assistant. “And yet, he made so many plays for them.” A huge catch radius and surprisingly smooth coming in and out of his routes. There’s a lot more to this player than his height. There’s a viral clip of him from a few years ago saying he doesn’t watch tape, but his film shows a player who understands leverage and spacing. Not a burner, but with those long legs, he does a nice job stacking defenders. A big-time red-zone target. “If I had a young quarterback, I’d want to pair the two together,” added a QB coach. “Think about having that kind of safety net. Sign me up.” Considered a “different” kind of kid, the interviews will be important for some teams. 

Tier 2

Matthew Golden (Texas) - Made a lot of big catches for the Longhorns during their playoff push and became a much more dependable target than the more heralded Isaiah Bond. Can play inside and out, has good body control, is good against press coverage, and catches and turns into a runner in one motion. “He’s a bit of a one-year wonder, but there’s a lot to like,” said one WR coach. “Doesn’t play as fast as he clocked (4.29 40) but is still plenty fast and sets up his routes with a level of advancement.” Also a good kick returner. Not much of a fighter if he’s covered up at the top of his route and has a few questionable drops on his resume. Doesn't love contact.

Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) - The league is high on this player. He doesn’t have the ceiling like the two (or three) ahead of him, but he knows how to play the position. “Inside. Outside. He could teach a lot of guys already in the league how to do it,” said one scout. “There’s that much nuance to his game.” Has been overshadowed by teammates Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks) and Jeremiah Smith, but “He could be a low-end #1. That’s how good he is,” said one assistant. Plays with physicality and appears to enjoy run blocking. The Buckeyes never took him off the field.

Luther Burden (Missouri) - The Tigers offense went to hell this year. Burden’s body language was not good. There are questions about his work ethic and his family’s involvement. That said, some of his tape this year is outstanding. His tape in ’23 was awesome. “He’s a bitch to get to the ground,” texted an assistant coach. “Very instinctual with the ball in his hands.” Capable of playing outside, although feels more like a slot at the pro level. Missouri got the ball in his hands on screens, jet sweeps, and even as a runner, hence the Deebo Samuel comps. “He could eventually be the best receiver in the class,” according to one scout. “Or, he’s such a pain in the ass you’ll have buyer’s remorse. I’m not sure there’s an in-between.” I’ve heard his ceiling is as high as #11 and as low as the mid-second round. Quite the range.

Tier 3

Jaylin Noel (Iowa State) - I’m on record as this being one of my favorite players in the draft. If his arms were two inches longer, I’d draft him in the first round and not think twice about it (but he's actually good in contested catch situations). His athletic testing was off the charts, but that speed didn’t always show up on tape. What does is his wiggle, “Watch how many times he shakes the hell out of a defensive back on underneath stuff,” an assistant coach told me. “He’s a hard cover in short space.” The QB for the Cyclones didn’t help him out in some obvious YAC situations (the kid threw it as hard as he could on every play), so, based on his strength and explosiveness, to go along with his punt return ability (15 yards per return), Noel could blossom. “You watch him snatch the ball out of the air and turn up the field in one motion,” added another scout. “He’s got that in his bag.” Even with Jayden Higgins on the field at the same time, ISU went to Noel in big moments. Wins versus man (think Ladd McConkey in that case). Separates. 

Jayden Higgins (Iowa State) - Wins in a lot of ways. “Love his footwork and release package,” said an assistant. “Moves better than someone his size should.” Really soft paws (87 catches this season and only 2 drops). He doesn’t have that extra gear and can get handsy when tightly covered, but he is a polished route runner. The whole route tree is in his bag. Not a YAC guy and though he's got a bigger profile, doesn't always play that way. Use your body, kid! Versatile. Can line up at all the receiver spots (As a rule, Josh McDaniels digs that…), and I would argue his best spot would be inside as a power slot. Productive at both collegiate stops (Eastern Kentucky, then ISU).

Kyle Williams (Washington State) -  The consensus on Williams is that there is no consensus. Some love him and think he could be a 1,000-yard receiver. Some think he’s a home run hitter who will strike out too often to make it worthwhile. “Good luck getting a hand on him,” said one scout. “He’s so damn quick.” Plenty of defenders think they have the angle on him and end up grasping at air. Another had less love, proclaiming Williams “as not much of a route runner, and his hands are questionable.” The drops show up, but the player's explosiveness can be intoxicating.

Tier 4

Jack Bech (TCU) - Big slot. Physical. Wherever you put it, he catches it (had one of the highest contested catch % in college football). Love how hard he blocks. “He wants to hurt defensive backs,” one exec told me. Not the fastest, but moves well. High football IQ. “He knows how to set up defensive backs,” added a scout. “That helps him overcome not being a 4.4 guy.” Projects to be a good #3.

Jalen Royals (Utah State) - Not sure about the long speed. Meh as a route runner. Attacks the football in the air, getting his hands away from his body. Adjusts well to the ball in the air. “He tracks the ball like a bloodhound on a scent,” a college scouting director told me (I’ll admit that made me go back and watch him again). Handles press. Strong. Got some YAC in him. Mastered the slant route. Had a foot injury this fall. Raw. The 2023 tape is better than the ’24. 

Tre Harris (Ole Miss) - A large portion of his production this year came against piss-poor teams, and he dealt with a hip/groin injury that kept him sidelined for a bit. But he has the size and strength to overpower smaller defenders, good feet for his size, and profiles as a true ‘X.’ His route running needs refinement, and he doesn’t have much experience against press coverage or a good feel versus zone (Ole Miss’ offense is not great for prepping guys for the next level), but he will go up and get it.

Eric Ayomanor (Stanford) - His hands are suspect, and it doesn’t make sense because there are times when he plucks the ball out of the sky like he’s playing with a Nerf. Not a big separator, though the long speed is there, and he wins versus man but not so great against press. Intelligent. Tough. Will get after CBs and safeties in the run game. “There’s a #1 receiver in there,” said an assistant coach. “I think this is a player who’s still developing.” Another disagrees but called Ayomanor one of the draft's few true ‘X’ receivers.

X-Factors

Savion Williams (TCU) - He couldn’t catch a cold in a room full of snotty kids. But my goodness, this dude is a massive human being and a freakish athlete. Has a Joe Milton-like arm (he was an HS QB and reportedly can throw it 80 yards). Great first step but he legit doesn’t know much about being a wide receiver except for winning 50/50 balls. Otherwise, his release game needs work; he’s a poor route runner and tends to run into trouble. The consistent comp is to Cordarrelle Patterson. Someone will take him in the second round (I could see San Fran falling in deep like). I’d be very leery. For every D.K. Metcalf type, there’s a Kelvin Benjamin or a Chase Claypool.

Isaiah Bond (Texas) - I thought this dude was going to explode for the Longhorns. He didn’t. “Incredibly frustrating,” said one scout. “Thought he was going to be a first-rounder. The tape doesn’t show that. The QBs there looked like they lost trust in him.” He plays as fast as the stopwatch says (4.33 40), can absolutely take the top off the defense, and is smooth getting in and out of breaks. “Someone needs to take him into the film room and then drill the hell out of him. He’s got the gifts, but he doesn’t know how to use them.” Doesn’t have a great grasp of spacing or feel for the passing game. “He has one speed.” Had just one 100-yard game (vs Texas San Antonio)." Character concerns.

Jaylin Lane (Va. Tech) - In seeing some clips, I wondered how the heck Lane finished with only 38 catches. So, I got a good look at four games. I understand why. He has a ways to go until he’s a finished product at receiver, so there’s definitely a good amount of projection here. Not a good route runner. A lot of wasted steps. Doesn’t present his number to the QB like he should. But other than that…speed to spare. Big play ability on simple crossers or screens. Also a quality punt returner. It might be ideal to have him as a 5th WR on game days and slowly integrate into the offense.

Tez Johnson (Oregon) - Okay, so the 40 time (4.50) doesn’t match how fast he played in the Ducks system, or what he looked like at the Senior Bowl. Quicker than a hiccup. But at 156 pounds, is he anything more than a gadget guy? Can’t imagine surviving any kind of extended workload. 

Xavier Restrepo (Miami) - The U’s all-time leading receiver. Separates in short space and shows well versus man coverage despite not being particularly fast (his 40 time was 4.83, but he tweaked a quad). A little powerhouse for his size. Good hands. Competitive. Slot only type. Feels like an early 4th round type.

Additional draftable players of note: Dont’e Thornton (Tennessee), Pat Bryant (Illinois), Isaac Teslaa (Arkansas), Tory Horton (Colorado State - a lot of people are higher on him than I), Ricky White (UNLV), Tai Felton (Maryland), Nick Nash (San Jose St), Kaden Prather (Maryland), Antwane Wells (Ole Miss)