Outside of quarterback, and perhaps corner, there really isn’t any position on the roster that wouldn’t benefit from some offseason additions for the New England Patriots.
And no unit has such a dearth of talent on the team – outside of perhaps the offensive tackle group – as the receiving corps.
True, Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas have both outplayed their 6th round draft positions so far, combining for over 1200 yards between them in 2024.
But outside of those two surprise breakout players, the team has close to nothing on the perimeter: Kendrick Bourne is well past his best, managing just 305 yards in 12 games this season, whilst rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, taken in the 2nd and 4th round respectively, combined for just 99 receiving yards combined this past year.
All this is suffice to say one thing – New England desperately needs a true WR1 if it is going to have any hope of making use out former #3 overall pick and budding franchise quarterback, Drake Maye‘s plentiful talents – many of which were well on display in 2024 despite having little around him in the offensive weapons department.
The Patriots Will Need To Spend To Solve Their Receiver Issues
The Patriots have over $133 million in cap space going into the 2025 offseason, the most in the NFL. And whilst the new head coach – whoever the the successor to the recently fired Jerod Mayo may be – will be tempted to shore big holes on the exterior of the offensive and defensive lines, they will have to take receiver into consideration.
This is particularly pertinent given that after winning their final game of the season in emphatic fashion against the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots will be picking 4th, likely scuppering their chances of drafting Colorado Heisman Trophy winner and two way WR/CB, Travis Hunter.
Without any other receiver truly worth a top 5 pick; Arizona wideout, Tetairoa McMillan, is generally regarded as the 10th – 15th best player in the draft, depending on who you ask, the Patriots are unlikely to be in a position to take an elite receiver in the first round of the draft without leaving significant value on the board.
As such, the team could well turn instead to free agency to fill their substantial need at the position – however the options are limited:
Tee Higgins will likely be franchise tagged once more, and could still sign an extension to remain with the Bengals. Meanwhile household names like Stefon Diggs and Chris Godwin are both coming off major injuries, with the former now having done so on the wrong side of 30. And 5 x Pro Bowler, Amari Cooper, does not look to be the player he was even a year ago, managing to muster less than 550 receiving yards in 2024, a huge dip from his 1150+ yard consecutive seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Christian Kirk Could Be The Answer For
So New England could instead turn to a trade deal, and Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report notes that one of the players that could be on the trade block is none other than speedy Jaguars receiver, Christian Kirk.
Knox proposes that the Patriots could be a prime destination for the former Cardinal, who signed a 4 year, $72 million deal with the Jags in 2022, stating:
“While Kirk has had only one 1,000-yard campaign in his career and is coming off a significant injury, he’s only 28 years old and could be targeted by contenders and rebuilding teams alike.
The Patriots fall firmly into the second category. Maye needs a better receiving corps, and Kirk would be a fine No. 2 or No. 3 option. New England will likely pursue a top receiver like Tee Higgins or Chris Godwin in free agency, but it could certainly find a spot for Kirk on the depth chart.”
Although Knox is correct that Kirk is probably a high end #2 receiver, rather than a #1 at this stage of his career, he would easily be the best receiver on the team. And if neither Higgins nor Godwin are available – or if they choose to sign with different teams – Kirk could be an excellent consolation prize to help aid the development of Drake Maye.
