Coming off a season in which they ranked 20th in passing yardage (208.0 per game) and tied for 19th in passing TDs (19) as part of the 26th-ranked offense, the New England Patriots made moves designed to reinvigorate that side of the ball. On the field, they signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki, essentially replacing Jakobi Meyers and Jonnu Smith, and off the field they hired Bill O’Brien to serve as offensive coordinator after using Matt Patricia as the de facto OC in 2022.
Of course, all those moves might be akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic if the Pats can’t get better play out of the quarterback position. Mac Jones regressed last year following an encouraging rookie campaign, and the former first-round pick could face a challenge from Bailey Zappe, who won both of his starts last year when Jones was laid up with an ankle injury. Jones should have the edge, though the team reportedly shopped him before the draft, so we’ll see how it shakes out.
Whether it’s Jones or Zappe, look for a more cohesive, diverse offensive approach from O’Brien, who spent the past two years directing Alabama’s offense following a largely successful seven-year run as the Houston Texans’ head coach. He was the New England OC in 2011 when Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski enjoyed phenomenal success. The question we’ll look to address here, though, is what it will mean for New England’s receivers.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Rather than re-sign Meyers, who led the team in receptions (67), yards (804), and TDs (6) last season, the Patriots elected to sign Smith-Schuster. Once viewed as the heir apparent to Antonio Brown as WR1 in Pittsburgh, the USC product hasn’t topped 1,000 yards since 2018. Injuries and the deterioration of Ben Roethlisberger‘s right arm played into that, but even catching balls from Patrick Mahomes couldn’t fully reinvigorate his career with Smith-Schuster finishing 2022 with a 78-933-3 line for the Kansas City Chiefs.
While not a star, he’s a physical presence, and a capable possession receiver. That should make him the clear No. 1 option on the outside (perhaps from the slot) for New England this year.
DeVante Parker
New England acquired Parker from division-rival Miami before last year’s draft. A change of scenery didn’t change the talented but oft-injured wideout’s fortunes, however, as Parker missed four games with a balky knee and a concussion. When he was on the field, he was inconsistent, topping 100 yards just once and scoring two of his three TDs in the season’s final week.
What name value Parker has left stems from his effort in 2019 (72-1,202-9), but bear in mind that in his other seven NFL seasons he’s never even reached the 800-yard mark.
Tyquan Thornton
A second-round pick in 2022, Thornton appeared in 13 games as a rookie, logging 22 receptions, 247 yards, and a pair of touchdowns (he added another score as a runner). The lanky wideout has excellent speed and could take over as the primary slot receiver this season, assuming that he can learn O’Brien’s playbook quickly. He’s versatile enough to move all around but may struggle on the outside vs. press coverage. Many considered him a reach last year, so don’t read too much into his lofty draft status, but at a position manned by older vets and a couple rookies, Thornton seems like one player that could make a leap in 2023.
Kendrick Bourne
Bourne was a nice signing for the Pats in 2021 when he set career highs in receptions (55), yards (800), and touchdowns (5). His encore was less impressive, outpacing Nelson Agholor but finishing well behind Meyers and Parker as Bourne ended up with a 35-434-1 line. The veteran is entering the final year of his deal, and he’s no lock to make the roster if someone like Kayshon Boutte and/or Demario Douglas put together a strong camp.
Fantasy football outlook
There are a lot of moving parts with New England’s passing attack: uncertainty at QB, a new offensive system, and an OC that used lots of two-tight end looks the last time he called plays for the Pats. Still, Smith-Schuster looks like a safe choice as a midrange No. 3 fantasy receiver.
Between his medical woes and middling production, Parker should be avoided in all but the deepest of leagues. Thornton has a path to value, but it’s far too narrow to invest a draft pick on; add him to your watch list if he makes waves in camp. Bourne can be ignored.
