Patriots Predicted to Land Risky But Explosive WR

The New England Patriots are being projected to take a risk by selecting this explosive wide receiver in the NFL Draft.

Colorado State's Tory Horton celebrates a first down during a home game against San Jose State at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 in Fort Collins, Colo. | Logan Newell/The Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New England Patriots still need to bring in some more talent at the wide receiver position in spite of adding both Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency, and they will have a chance to do so in the NFL Draft later this month.

This is a very deep class at wide receiver, so the Patriots should absolutely be able to land some weapons, even if they are unable to snatch Travis Hunter at No. 4 overall.

Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team recently put together a seven-round mock draft, and he has New England landing a couple of wide outs in the draft. First, he has the Pats bagging Iowa State's Jayden Higgins in the second round, which does not come as much of a surprise.

However, the true eye opener is who Crabbs has the Patriots landing in Round 4: Colorado State star Tory Horton.

Horton is actually one of the most intriguing prospects in this upcoming class due to the high-risk, high-reward factor involved.

The 22-year-old suffered a tough knee injury midway through his final collegiate campaign, which definitely caused his draft stock to slip. Prior to that, Horton had posted back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons, most recently hauling in 96 receptions for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023.

Horton appears to be making a great recovery from his injury, as he ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine. That being said, he is generally viewed as a Day 3 pick or a late third-round selection, at best.

Standing 6-foot-3, Horton represents a big target with great big-play potential, which New England could absolutely use for Drake Maye.

Of course, the Pats cannot afford to blow draft picks right now, but if Horton is still on the board in the fourth round, it may be difficult for the Patriots to ignore him.

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