The New England Patriots look to have hit on their first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft when they selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. Jones was excellent as a rookie, making all of the throws asked of him and keeping the offense on schedule.
Jones was mostly a game manager as a rookie, surpassing the 300-yard plateau or throwing for three touchdowns only twice. You can’t be too upset at the results, as New England made the postseason as a wild card team and looks like they will be contending for the postseason once again.
If the Patriots want to make more noise in the playoffs this season, Jones will have to take that next step in his development. The team was hoping to upgrade the wide receiver spot to help him achieve that, as they were linked to some big-name players this offseason.
Nothing has come to fruition, yet, but there is still plenty of time left for New England to upgrade the weapons offensively. If they do not find a veteran that fits what they are looking for, they can turn their attention to the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Patriots are set to make seven selections in the draft right now, but there isn’t anyone that is as active as Bill Belichick when it comes to moving up and down the draft board. Expect them to be once again so that they can fill the holes on the roster.
Knowing they need some help offensively, they could look for some value in the middle rounds of the draft. One sleeper that they should consider with their third-round pick is Purdue wide receiver, David Bell.
Bell burst onto the scene in Lafayette right away. As a freshman, he caught 86 passes for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns, earning Freshman All-American, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and honorable mention all-conference after his first season. 2020 was shortened because of COVID-19, but he led the team once again in receiving before putting together another monster season in 2021.
Bell was an AP All-American, Big Ten Conference Receiver of the Year and a finalist for the Biletnikoff after catching 93 passes for 1,286 yards and six touchdowns. His ability to line up anywhere on the field is something that would certainly be appealing to the Patriots.
He doesn’t possess high-end speed or athleticism, which could limit him at times in the NFL. That leads to a lack of success on deep balls and his lack of change of speed will be something that needs to be addressed.
However, Bell possesses great route running. He uses his technique to overcome any athletic deficiencies and isn’t afraid to mix it up over the middle of the field. His route tree is advanced, which is why he can line up all over the formation. After the catch yards are easy to come by for Bell with his shiftiness avoiding tackles and making cuts.
While Bell may not have true No. 1 wide receiver upside, he would bring another dimension to the Patriots’ offense to help Jones continue his development as the team’s franchise quarterback.
