There's been some talk this week about DeMario (formerly Demario, he just had to capitalize that M, pictured) Douglas having a nice offseason for the Patriots. There has also at times been talk about rookie Ja'Lynn Polk. Will the Patriots finally produce a relevant wideout?
Homegrown, that is. New England has had some productive wide receivers this century, guys like Wes Welker, Brandin Cooks and Randy Moss. But those guys were all plucked off other rosters. When it comes to homegrown wide receivers putting up viable numbers, those hits have been few and far between for New England.
Without exception over the past two decades, New England's early and mid-round picks at wide receiver have flopped hard. Their only hits since Deion Branch, drafted in the second round way back in 2002, have been last-round picks (Julian Edelman, who didn't even play wide receiver in college) or undrafted (Jakobi Meyers, who the team strangely let leave in free agency). And a whole lot of busts.
Table below shows the best seasons (PPR scoring) by homegrown Patriots wideouts since 2000. A sobering history.
| HOMEGROWN PATRIOTS WRS, BEST SEASONS (2000-PRESENT) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rd | Best | Player | Tgt | No | Rec | TD | Rk |
| 7 | 2019 | Julian Edelman | 153 | 100 | 1117 | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | 2005 | Deion Branch | 125 | 78 | 998 | 5 | 22 |
| FA | 2022 | Jakobi Meyers | 96 | 67 | 804 | 6 | 29 |
| 7 | 2004 | David Givens | 106 | 56 | 874 | 3 | 36 |
| 2 | 2013 | Aaron Dobson | 72 | 37 | 519 | 4 | 61 |
| 6 | 2023 | Demario Douglas | 78 | 49 | 561 | 0 | 64 |
| 3 | 2010 | Brandon Tate | 46 | 24 | 432 | 5 | 71 |
| 4 | 2016 | Malcolm Mitchell | 48 | 32 | 401 | 4 | 82 |
| 2 | 2003 | Bethel Johnson | 34 | 16 | 209 | 3 | 96 |
| 1 | 2020 | N'Keal Harry | 57 | 33 | 309 | 2 | 98 |
| 2 | 2022 | Tyquan Thornton | 45 | 22 | 247 | 3 | 98 |
| 2 | 2006 | Chad Jackson | 19 | 13 | 152 | 3 | 105 |
It's a new era, so there's no reason to paint second-rounder Polk or fourth-rounder Javon Baker with the negative brush cast on N'Keal Harry. And Douglas showed enough promise last year to think he can finally break this streak of disappointment. Somebody has to be Drake Maye's (or Jacoby Brissett's) top target this season, and perhaps it will be one of those youngsters.
But man, it is an ugly history for them at the position. With a poor track record and no heavy favorite to be the team's No. 1, it is just as likely it will be one of the veterans they've plucked off other rosters. JuJu Smith-Schuster (who's never lived up to his early excellence with Pittsburgh), Kendrick Bourne (coming off a torn ACL), or former Viking K.J. Osborn.
All of these potential targets look like very late flier picks -- the kind you can throw a selection at, then cut if they don't work out. I don't imagine I'll be selecting any of the youngsters until they show me something. Some positive talk in June doesn't change that.
--Andy Richardson