The New England Patriots may or may not take a receiver with the No. 14 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, but one thing is certain: They are doing some serious homework at the position.
That includes bringing in prospects for visits and having offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien dive into the playbook with some of them. According to ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid, the Patriots have been eying Boston College’s Zay Flowers, USC’s Jordan Addison and Ole Miss’ Jonathan Mingo closely.
There’s no question the Patriots have a serious need at the receiver position, and there’s a real chance that one of the upcoming prospects could help fill that hole on their roster.
Granted, there’s still hope that Tyquan Thornton will make a massive second-year leap, and the team just signed veteran wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal.
That still hasn’t stopped the Patriots from doing their due diligence on some of the bigger names in this year’s draft. Flowers brings an explosive element to the passing attack the team desperately needs to make the entire offense work. Addison is a Swiss-army knife skilled position player, and Mingo would give the team the size and footwork scouts covet at the pro level.
Any of the three players would be an upgrade for a Patriots offense still lacking in the explosiveness department. Here are some highlights for the soon-to-be NFL rookies:
