Open Season: Patriots Scouts Meet with Pair of WR Prospects at Senior Bowl

Patriots scouts met with a pair of promising wide receivers in North Dakota State’s Christian Watson and Nevada’s Romeo Doubs in Mobile, Alabama.

Draft season in the NFL unofficially kicks off with the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. While the collegiate equivalent of an all-star game will officially take place on the afternoon of Saturday, February 5, the week-long practice sessions are among the most productive methods of scouting potential pro-level talent.

The New England Patriots were no exception to the rule. Though head coach Bill Belichick did not make the trip to Mobile this year, members of the Pats’ scouting department were on hand to observe practices. They also conducted the team’s first two reported meetings of the 2022 pre-draft cycle.

As first reported by Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, the Patriots scouts met with a pair of promising wide receivers in North Dakota State’s Christian Watson and Nevada’s Romeo Doubs.

Elementary, my dear Watson

Watson has been one of the week’s standout performers in Mobile, showcasing both his size and his speed. Listed at 6-foot-5, 208 pounds, he would potentially bring a great deal of size to the Pats’ corps of wide receivers. The North Dakota State product is also a very good athlete, showing great speed and body control for a receiver of his size. Watson is at his best when aligning on the outside, but has also shown an ability to be productive out of the slot.

During his senior year with the Bisons, Watson caught 43 passes for 801 yards and seven touchdowns. He also demonstrated some prowess as a carrier out of the backfield, logging 15 rushing attempts for 114 yards and one rushing touchdown.

When asked about his meeting with the Pats’ brass, Watson seemed pleased.

“It was good. It was really good,” Watson said about meeting with the Patriots’ representatives. “Every team obviously wants to pick your brain and kind of see what you’re about, so every meeting I’ve had so far has been good.”

Wherefore art thou, Romeo?

Like Watson, Doubs also provides a nice blend of size and agility. Though a bit smaller than Watson (Doubs is listed at 6-foot-2, 200-pounds), he displays a great deal of toughness at the catch point. Despite some early concerns regarding drops, Doubs evolved into a true deep threat for Nevada. When aligning on the outside, he is capable of making the big play. He ended his final collegiate season with 80 receptions for 1,109 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“I’m really confident in my deep back game,” he said. “I understand that being a complete receiver, you must work on everything, working on the technique and route running, releases off the line and being able to track footballs with hand-eye coordination.”

Regarding his meeting with the Patriots, Doubs seemed impressed by the team’s contingent in Mobile.

“The meeting was great. I loved meeting with the Patriots,” he said. I was able to show off my personality and who I am to them both as a young man and a football player. So, it was awesome.”

Heading into the upcoming season, the Pats are widely expected to add to their receiving corps. The position remains a need for New England, despite their additions of free agents Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor during the 2021 free agency period. With Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski headed for free agency, the Pats might be on the market for additional help via the draft. Both Watson and Doubs are projected as potential mid-round choices. Each would provide youth, versatility and potential to the Pats stable of wideouts in 2022.