The New England Patriots spent lavishly last year in the offseason, upgrading the pass-catching weapons on the roster. Wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor along with tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry were all signed last season and helped improve the Patriots’ offense.
The finishing touch was using the No. 15 overall pick on Alabama quarterback, Mac Jones. Jones looks like the future face of the franchise as he had a strong rookie season. While he wasn’t tasked to do much more than be a game manager, he did everything that was asked of him.
The future is certainly bright in New England. The only thing they are missing to help Jones elevate his game is a true game-changer at the wide receiver spot. Luckily for New England, this year’s draft class is full of excellent pass catchers.
Over at PFF, Austin Gayle believes that the Patriots will address that need with their first-round pick. He is predicting that Ohio State wide receiver, Chris Olave, will end up in New England in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Olave would be a great addition to the Patriots’ offense. With so many other capable pass-catchers already in the mix with the aforementioned players, Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry, Olave can be brought along slowly before taking a bigger role in the offense.
New England can play to his strengths in the early going, as Olave mixes his elite speed, as he was a track star in high school with smooth route running. He gets the job done at all three levels, which provides optimism that he can be a No. 1 receiver down the line.
To achieve that designation, however, Olave needs to continue adding strength to go with his great ball skills and route running. Physical corners could knock him off his game and he isn’t a great run blocker right now, but those are all things that can improve with some work.
New England can provide him the opportunity to continue getting stronger while creating schemes that play into his strengths early on. It will only benefit him in the long run as he has some natural talent you cannot teach that will be taken to the next level once his body is ready for the rigors and physicality of the NFL.
