Albert Breer joins Arbella Early Edition to share insight into what the Patriots’ front office structure will look like with Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf and Ryan Cowden
Some NFL teams draft wide receivers really well. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers are two of the best examples. Those front offices and scouting departments know how to find quality wideouts, and many of those good players were drafted after the first round.
The New England Patriots have enjoyed the opposite success when it comes to drafting wide receivers. The last wideout drafted by the Patriots who tallied 1,000-plus receiving yards in a single season was Julian Edelman. He was a seventh-round pick in 2009 and retired in 2020.
Here's a look at all of the wide receivers drafted by the Patriots since Edelman:
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- 2010: Taylor Price, third round
- 2012: Jeremy Ebert, seventh round
- 2013: Aaron Dobson, second round; Josh Boyce, fourth round
- 2014: Jeremy Gallon, seventh round
- 2016: Malcolm Mitchell, fourth round; Devin Lucien, seventh round
- 2018: Braxton Berrios, sixth round
- 2019: N'Keal Harry, first round
- 2020: Tre Nixon, seventh round
- 2022: Tyquan Thornton, second round
- 2023: Kayshon Boutte, sixth round; DeMario Douglas, sixth round
- 2024: Ja'Lynn Polk, second round; Javon Baker, fourth round
Aside from Boutte and Douglas in 2023, nearly all of these players turned out to be busts. Polk and Baker have only played one season and could still turn things around, but that scenario seems unlikely. Mitchell showed some potential but injuries unfortunately ended his career early.
But overall, this list is a bad one. And if the Patriots are going to transform their offense into a top-15 unit with Drake Maye at quarterback, they have to surround him with much better talent at wide receiver.
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Free agency is one place where the Patriots could find a No. 1 wideout, but aside from Tee Higgins, most of the free agent wide receivers are nearing the end of their prime.
The draft is still the best place to find this kind of playmaker. But how much confidence should Patriots fans have in new head coach Mike Vrabel and new vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden when it comes to drafting wideouts? Vrabel and Cowden worked together with the Tennessee Titans; Vrabel was the head coach from 2018 through 2023, and Cowden worked in a few different front office roles from 2016 through 2022.
Vrabel and Cowden weren't the only important decision-makers in Tennessee during this time, but they obviously had plenty of input.
Here's a list of the wide receivers the Titans drafted from 2016 through 2023. Spoiler: It's not an exciting group.
Cowden was the Titans' director of player personnel when they selected Corey Davis with the No. 5 overall pick in 2017. The Western Michigan product had a couple decent seasons in Tennessee but never lived up to the hype. The Titans declined his fifth-year option and he hasn't played for any team since 2022.
The only good wide receiver the Titans drafted during this stretch was A.J. Brown. But instead of paying Brown a huge contract extension, they traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles on the day of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The trade has turned out to be a disaster for the Titans for a couple reasons. One is that Brown has been a top 10 (maybe even top-five) wide receiver with the Eagles. He's been a dominant player and a huge reason why the Eagles are about to play in their second Super Bowl since acquiring him.
Another reason is that Treylon Burks, who the Titans selected with the first-round pick acquired in the Brown trade, has been so underwhelming. Burks not only has disappointed statistically, he has struggled to stay on the field due to injuries. Burks has played in just 27 of a possible 51 games in three seasons.
Reports since the trade indicate Vrabel wasn't a fan of trading Brown. When asked about the possibility of a Brown trade, Vrabel told The Rich Eisen Show in April of 2022, "Not as long as I'm the head coach." He has praised Brown many times since the trade.
Burks and Dowell are the only wide receivers drafted by the Titans from 2016 through 2023 who are still with the team. The poor drafting at wide receiver led to the Titans signing veterans DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley in free agency in recent years. The Ridley contract -- four years, $92 million -- has the potential to age poorly.
The wide receiver class in the 2025 draft is not as strong as the 2024 group, but there are quality players to be found. Maybe the Patriots will select one with the No. 4 overall pick. Arizona star Tetairoa McMillan should be available at No. 4. Colorado star and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who played both wide receiver and cornerback in college, could be available at No. 4.
Matthew Golden of Texas, Emeka Egbuka of Ohio State and Luther Burden of Missouri could be first-round picks, too.
It's possible that Vrabel, Cowden and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf can find a really good wide receiver in this draft, especially if Wolf's new grading system proves effective. Maye is a better quarterback than anyone Vrabel had at the position in Tennessee, which helps.
But drafting the player is only part of the process. You have to develop that player, too. And after putting together an experienced coaching staff over the last few weeks, including the return of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator, the Patriots are better positioned to develop wideouts.