Last year’s New England Patriots were the worst combination in pro sports: bad and boring. They ranked 30th in total offense, 28th in passing and tied for last in scoring. The result was a complete reset. Gone are long-time head coach Bill Belichick, and former first-round quarterback Mac Jones, who was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round pick.
In their place are new head coach Jerod Mayo, who hired Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator, and the quarterback tandem of veteran Jacoby Brissett and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Eliot Wolf took over the de facto GM role from Belichick, and he stated there’ll be “more reliance on playing young players” this season. So, what does that mean for passing game?
DeMario Douglas
There weren’t many positives offensively last season, but Douglas’ development could be one. A sixth-round pick a year ago, he wound up leading the team in targets (79), receptions (49), and receiving yards (561). He failed to score a touchdown, however, and at 5-foot-8, 192 pounds, he isn’t built to take a lot of hits or excel in the red zone.
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Still, he was tough to cover from the slot, conjuring memories of a young Julian Edelman. Douglas also finished third in the NFL in yards after catch per reception (6.9), trailing only San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel (8.8) and Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (8.3). No matter who QB1 is, this offense needs that element, and Douglas has shown he can provide it.
Ja'Lynn Polk
The 10th receiver selected in April’s draft, Polk is more of a physical target than a burner, showing an ability to routinely make contested catches and work in traffic. He played in a high-octane offense at Washington and had the benefit of playing alongside WR Rome Odunze, the ninth overall pick by the Chicago Bears, when he posted a 69-1,159-9 line for the Huskies. There’s toughness and a relentlessness to the rookie’s game, and it allowed him to stand out during minicamp and OTAs, positioning him to open the season as one of the top three receivers.
K.J. Osborn
In three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Osborn averaged 53 receptions, 615 yards, and five TDs as their No. 3 receiver. The consistency hasn’t always been there, but bear in mind he’s been competing with the likes of WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as well as TE T.J. Hockenson, for targets. There’s nobody like that in New England.
Signed to a one-year, $4 million contract, Osborn could view this as a chance to prove he’s a legitimate starting wideout in the NFL, so there will be extra motivation. He should push for one of the top jobs.
Javon Baker
Selected in Round 4, Baker is one of three locks to make the club (along with Douglas and Polk). While he dealt with drops at Central Florida, he also made big plays, catching five passes of more than 50 yards last season. Baker is dangerous in the open field and a has good feel for getting open. Baker lacks elite speed, though, and feels like more of a developmental project than his Polk.
Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster
Bourne (knee) is currently on the PUP list after tearing his ACL last October. Before the injury, he was the team’s top wideout and looked to be putting together his best season. Smith-Schuster was signed to a big-money deal before last year and responded with a disastrous 29-260-1 effort that has put his spot on the 53-man roster firmly in jeopardy. Both are in their late 20s, and they feel like fallback options for a rebuilding squad if some of the younger talent needs time acclimating to the pro game.
Fantasy football outlook
If you assume a 12-team league where each team carries five receivers, you’d be hard-pressed to make a case that anyone here should be drafted. Between questions about the offensive line, the quarterback, and the receivers themselves, nobody is a safe top-60 selection. For those in deeper leagues, there’s a level of intrigue with each of the projected top-three WRs.
Polk offers the most potential. He shined in camp and boasts the mentality and opportunity to make an impact.
Douglas has volume-based appeal as he could see a lot of targets working near the line of scrimmage.
Osborn feels like more of a long shot, but he’s proven capable of having big games. If he becomes a featured part of the passing game there’s some upside.
Adding further uncertainty, the quarterback situation is good for someone like Douglas and TE Hunter Henry when Brissett starts but not idea for vertical threats. Maybe has a lively are but inexperience going through reads.
