The New England Patriots reportedly will not acquire Brandon Aiyuk on the trade market despite offering the San Francisco 49ers star a lucrative contract that would have made him one of the NFL's highest-paid wide receivers.
The failed pursuit of Aiyuk is a setback for the Patriots in their quest to find a legitimate No. 1 wideout. It's possible -- although unlikely -- they already have a No. 1 caliber wide receiver on the roster after drafting Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker back in April.
But if not, there will be other options available to the Patriots in the not-so-distant future.
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For example, they are projected to have around $78 million of salary cap space in the 2025 offseason, per OverTheCap, the second-most of any team. This kind of financial flexibility would allow them to sign a premier left tackle and wide receiver, while also taking care of some other weak spots on the roster. The 2025 free agent class has the potential to be loaded at wide receiver.
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Another option for the Patriots is the 2025 NFL Draft. The Patriots are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league again, which means they could pick in the top 10 for the second consecutive year.
The last time New England had back-to-back top 10 picks was 1993 (Drew Bledsoe, No. 1) and 1994 (Willie McGinest, No. 4). The 2025 draft class is expected to have at least two can't-miss WR prospects (Luther Burden III and Tetairoa McMillan).
Which wide receivers could the Patriots potentially target in free agency and the draft next year? Let's take a look at some of the best options.
2025 free agents
- CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
- Tee Higgins, Bengals
- Stefon Diggs, Texans
- Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
- Amari Cooper, Browns
- Marquise Brown, Chiefs
- Diontae Johnson, Panthers
- Keenan Allen, Bears
- DeAndre Hopkins, Titans
- Mike Williams, Jets
- Brandin Cooks, Cowboys
The 2025 free agent class is pretty deep at wide receiver, which is great news for the Patriots. There's a chance some of these players re-sign with their current teams and don't make it to free agency, but either way, there should be very good players available next offseason.
CeeDee Lamb would be the top wideout available if he reached free agency, but it's hard to imagine the Cowboys letting it get to that point. Lamb is coming off an incredible 2023 season in which he caught 135 passes for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns (all career highs).
Tee Higgins might be the most likely player of the group to hit the open market. Higgins posted back-to-back seasons of at least 74 receptions, 1,000 yards and six touchdowns in 2021 and 2022. His 2023 campaign was limited to 12 games due to injuries, but before that he had been pretty durable. Higgins also will be just 26 years old next offseason. He has the size (6-foot-4, 219 pounds) and quickness to be a top-tier player on the outside.
Stefon Diggs has dominated the Patriots throughout his career as a member of the Buffalo Bills, but he was traded to the Houston Texans over the offseason. He'll be 31 in November, so it's fair to wonder if a decline is coming, but few wideouts have been more consistent than him in recent seasons. Diggs has tallied 1,000 or more receiving yards in six straight seasons, along with eight-plus touchdowns in five of the last six years.
Amari Cooper (30), DeAndre Hopkins (32) and Keenan Allen (32) are all over 30 years old but also still productive enough to be short-term options for the Patriots.
2025 NFL Draft
- Luther Burden III, Missouri (Projected top-10 pick)
- Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona (Top 10-15 pick)
- Travis Hunter, Colorado (Top 10-15 pick)
- Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State (Mid- to late first-round pick)
- Isaiah Bond, Texas (Late first-round pick)
- Even Stewart, Oregon (Late first-round pick, early second-round pick)
- Tez Johnson, Oregon (Second-round pick)
- Tre Harris, Ole Miss (Second-round pick)
- Nic Anderson, Oklahoma (Second-round pick)
Seven wide receivers were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, including three in the top 10. We could see at least five wideouts go in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Luther Burden III is the clear-cut best wide receiver prospect entering the 2024 college football season. He has both the ability to make spectacular catches and the elite speed (4.3 40-yard dash) to make huge plays.
Burden tallied 82 receptions for 1,212 yards with nine touchdowns last season. He is poised for an even better campaign with Missouri in 2024. He is the definition of box office and has drawn many comparisons to Deebo Samuel.
Tetairoa McMillan has the potential to challenge Burden as the No. 1 ranked WR entering the next draft. He has amazing size at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds. He has the strength to make contested catches and the versatility to dominate all over the field, including the slot and the outside.
McMillan posted monster stats of 90 receptions for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns at Arizona last season. He could put up even better numbers in 2024 with Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita returning.
Ohio State has been developing elite wide receivers at an impressive pace over the last decade, and Emeka Egbuka could be the latest one. Egbuka is a fantastic route runner and should set career highs in most statistics this season as he takes over the No. 1 wideout role in the Buckeyes offense.
Even if the Patriots decided to take a left tackle with their 2025 first-round pick, there should be enough quality wideouts on Day 2 of the draft to help New England bolster its depth and talent at the position in a meaningful way.