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Patriots wideouts

Meyers might be best of bunch

Couple of items about New England wide receivers recently. While former first-rounder N'Keal Harry is fighting for a roster spot, former undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers is in the mix to be the team's No. 1. A stark reminder that while the Patriots can't draft wideouts, they've had some success uncovering undrafted guys.

New England handed out good contracts to Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne in the offseason, and the popular belief is probably that those guys will be the top 2 this year. Agholor is a former first-round pick who has a couple of 8-TD seasons to his credit, and comes off his best year with Las Vegas. So probably.

But Bourne was just an undrafted guy who had a red-zone role in San Francisco. He's not better than Meyers, and it's debatable whether Agholor is either. Despite playing in one of the league's very worst passing offenses a year ago, Meyers just had one of the better seasons by an undrafted wideout this century.

He's still looking for his first receiving touchdown, but he can't throw the ball to himself. Maybe he'll get that TD catch once the team elevates Mac Jones over Cam Newton (whose inclination near the goal line is to bull his way into the end zone rather than make a precise throw). In any case, Meyers finished as the 53rd-best wide receiver in PPR scoring a year ago. There have been 46 undrafted wideouts to have a better season since 2000, and most of those guys weren't working in passing games as comically inept as New England's last year.

Here's the list of top-55 (to get Meyers in) undrafted wideouts since 2000. I included each undrafted wideout's best season (cropping out their 2nd- or 3rd-best seasons, for guys who ranked in the top 55 more than once).

What was interesting to me was just how many guys with a New England connection (in bold) showed up on the list. Welker, Amendola (although his best season, just barely, was with the Rams), Patten and now Meyers. Bourne had a top-65 season, and he's also a Patriot now. In that time period, Deion Branch is the only wideout New England selected early that made an impact. The others are late picks (seventh-rounder Julian Edelman) or undrafted guys.

UNDRAFTED WRS, TOP-55 SEASONS (2000-2020)
YearPlayerTgtRecYdsTDPPRRk
2000Rod Smith, Den.17310016029324.12
2011Wes Welker, N.E.17312215699335.92
2011Victor Cruz, NYG1318215369289.93
2009Miles Austin, Dall.12481132011278.86
2018Adam Thielen, Min.15311313739309.37
2016Doug Baldwin, Sea.1259411287253.88
2004Drew Bennett, Ten.14480124711277.28
2006Mike Furrey, Det.1469810866242.613
2008Lance Moore, N.O.1217992810231.815
2011Nate Washington, Ten.1217410238224.815
2017Robby Anderson, NYJ114639417200.018
2015Allen Hurns, Jac.10564103110227.119
2016Tyrell Williams, S.D.1196910597216.919
2000Wayne Chrebet, NYJ143699378210.420
2010Davone Bess, Mia.125798205190.723
2000Bill Schroeder, G.B.119659994190.024
2018Adam Humphries, T.B.105768165188.724
2001James Thrash, Phil.108638338200.026
2020Cole Beasley, Buff.107829674207.727
2017Jermaine Kearse, NYJ102658105176.028
2000Oronde Gadsden, Mia.93567866170.628
2015Kamar Aiken, Balt.127759445199.429
2010Danny Amendola, St.L.123856893180.030
2016Willie Snead, N.O.104728954192.032
2002Brian Finneran, Atl.102568386175.833
2013Rod Streater, Oak.100608884174.533
2004David Patten, N.E.95448007166.534
2000Az-Zahir Hakim, St.L.81537345158.337
2016Cameron Meredith, Chi.97668884183.538
2005Eric Parker, S.D.80577253153.038
2012Malcom Floyd, S.D.85568145167.438
2003Bobby Shaw, Buff.86567324153.239
2011David Nelson, Buff.97616585156.839
2000James McKnight, Dall.106529262156.639
2018Taylor Gabriel, Chi.93676882153.941
2002Derrius Thompson, Was.93537734162.042
2010Anthony Armstrong, Was.86448713149.143
2005Antonio Chatman, G.B.86495495137.343
2020Tim Patrick, Den.79517426161.244
2020Keelan Cole, Jac.88556426155.447
2016Dontrelle Inman, S.D.97588104163.047
2014Andrew Hawkins, Cle.112638242158.948
2013Marlon Brown, Balt.82495247145.248
2012Danario Alexander, S.D.62376587144.849
2008Greg Camarillo, Mia.83556132128.450
2013Jarrett Boykin, G.B.83496814141.151
2020Jakobi Meyers, N.E.81597290144.9553
2019Zach Pascal, Ind.72416075135.353
2002Tim Dwight, S.D.93506233141.154
2014Andre Holmes, Oak.99476934140.355
2011Josh Cribbs, Cle.67415185125.355

I don't think anyone can be particularly enamored of New England's passing game this year. It'll be either Newton or a rookie, throwing to some lightly regarded wide receivers and two high-priced tight ends who could fight for relevance each week.

But while some will be selecting Agholor first, I'll be considering using a later pick on Meyers. Seems about as likely to be the team's best wide receiver this season.

--Andy Richardson

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