Jakobi Meyers keeps getting selected earlier than Kendrick Bourne, and I don’t understand why. Bourne, in my opinion, is the best of the New England receivers – better than Meyers, and better than DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor and Tyquan Thornton.

Bourne caught fewer passes than Meyers last year, but he was more impactful. He averaged over 4 more yards per reception. He was also more effective, catching 79 percent of the passes thrown his way. Meyers tends to work out of the slot and run shorter routes, but he caught only 66 percent of his targets.

With the combination of the high catch rate and the downfield roues, Bourne averaged 11.4 yards per target last year. That’s an unusually good number. Among wide receivers with at least 50 targets (and there were 89 of them), only Deebo Samuel averaged more yards per pass play.

The Patriots also use Bourne on end-arounds, allowing him to pick up some superfluous stats.

The production numbers from last year suggest Bourne will be their top guy. Setting aside the Monday night game at Buffalo (played in a windstorm), Bourne averaged over 2 more points (PPR scoring) per week than Meyers last year in the team’s final 11 games. Bourne in those games allowed 4 catches for 54 yards, with 5 TDs, with an additional 10 yards per week as a runner.

Meyers those 11 games caught 9 more passes, but with 137 fewer yards and 3 fewer touchdowns.

Bourne in my opinion should be picked sooner. But in the mock draft in the magazine, Meyers went three rounds earlier, and he went for $3 more in the auction. In an ongoing Fanex draft, Meyers went in the 11th round; I selected Bourne over two rounds later (a few picks after DeVante Parker).

BOURNE VERSUS MEYERS
PlayerWk OppScoreNoYdsTDRunPPR
Kendrick Bourne19at Buff.L 17-4777721428.1
Kendrick Bourne10Cle.W 45-749814324.1
Kendrick Bourne12Ten.W 36-135612023.1
Kendrick Bourne3N.O.L 13-286961021.6
Jakobi Meyers17Jac.W 50-108731021.3
Jakobi Meyers3N.O.L 13-289940018.4
Jakobi Meyers4T.B.L 17-198700015.0
Jakobi Meyers10Cle.W 45-74491014.9
Kendrick Bourne7NYJW 54-134680014.8
Jakobi Meyers12Ten.W 36-135980014.8
Kendrick Bourne6Dall.L 29-351751014.5
Kendrick Bourne17Jac.W 50-1057601714.3
Jakobi Meyers16Buff.L 21-336590011.9
Jakobi Meyers6Dall.L 29-355440011.4
Jakobi Meyers15at Ind.L 17-276440911.3
Jakobi Meyers18at Mia.L 24-334700011.0
Kendrick Bourne4T.B.L 17-195580010.8
Jakobi Meyers1Mia.L 16-176440010.4
Jakobi Meyers19at Buff.L 17-476400010.0
Jakobi Meyers5at Hou.W 25-22456009.6
Jakobi Meyers8at LACW 27-24436009.6
Jakobi Meyers7NYJW 54-13544009.4
Kendrick Bourne15at Ind.L 17-273440199.3
Kendrick Bourne11at Atl.W 25-0442078.9
Jakobi Meyers11at Atl.W 25-0439007.9
Kendrick Bourne8at LACW 27-24438007.8
Jakobi Meyers2at NYJW 25-6438007.8
Kendrick Bourne5at Hou.W 25-223260126.8
Kendrick Bourne9at Car.W 24-6334006.4
Kendrick Bourne18at Mia.L 24-33324086.2
Kendrick Bourne16Buff.L 21-33233005.3
Kendrick Bourne2at NYJW 25-62100164.6
Kendrick Bourne1Mia.L 16-17117002.7
Jakobi Meyers9at Car.W 24-618001.8
Kendrick Bourne13at Buff.W 14-100003.3
Jakobi Meyers13at Buff.W 14-100000.0

—Ian Allan