Patriots Predicted to Land Dynamic WR for Drake Maye

The New England Patriots are being predicted to land a unique wide receiver for quarterback Drake Maye.

Oct 27, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) walks onto the field before a game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots need to prioritize putting appropriate weapons around quarterback Drake Maye heading into his sophomore campaign, because right now, things are pretty barren.

Maye does not have a No. 1 receiver at his disposal, and there really may not even be a legitimate No. 2 wide out on the roster.

Obviously, the Patriots are hoping to swing big in free agency and/or trades, but they must also land a couple of pieces via the NFL Draft.

That's something New England did not do last year, when it missed badly on wide receivers Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.

This time around, the Pats will have a plethora of intriguing receivers to choose from, as it is a pretty deep class at the position. At least in terms of Day 2 talents.

Joe DeLeone of Pro Football Network recently published the site's most recent seven-round mock draft, and he has the Patriots finding a huge answer in the second round: Iowa State Cyclones star Jayden Higgins.

"Accumulating more receiving options for Drake Maye needs to be addressed this offseason," DeLeone wrote. "Jayden Higgins is a tall, long receiver prospect with unexpectedly high-level athleticism. His combination of route running and length could make him Maye’s No. 1 target as a rookie."

Higgins is unquestionably one of the best receivers in this draft class and is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he hauled in 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns.

At 6-foot-4 and around 220 pounds, Higgins is exactly the type of possession receiver that Maye needs, as he would represent a terrific red-zone target for the young quarterback.

Higgins has also flashed big-play ability, like in 2023 when he averaged 18.5 yards per catch for Iowa State.

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