Patriots WR group ranks unfavorably in latest PFF rankings
The New England Patriots’ wide receiver group is at the bottom of the NFL, according to the latest rankings from Pro Football Focus. The website had New England’s wide receiver group ranked 29th overall.
New England did add some new names at the position, including signing JuJu Smith-Schuster in March, along with adding rookies Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas in the 2023 NFL draft.
There are also options in wide receivers Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton and DeVante Parker.
The only teams that ranked below New England were the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans. PFF’s Trevor Sikkema gave his explanation for ranking New England so low:
The Patriots moved on from Jakobi Meyers but were able to replace him with JuJu Smith-Schuster. They also have Tyquan Thornton, Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker. We need to take into account Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki, but overall, it’s just not a group that strikes much fear in the eyes of defensive coordinators. Only Parker and Smith-Schuster earned a 70.0-plus receiving grade in 2022.
Analytical grades and analysis only tell so much, especially when concerning the newest additions. New England and their fans will have to wait and see how things play out on the field in what will be a pivotal year for the team.
