Reading the room: Evaluating wide receivers on Patriots' roster
With Organized Team Activities (OTAs) in the rearview mirror and the Patriots at mandatory minicamp this week, it looks like the roster is likely set barring a few backend roster additions or a possible DeAndre Hopkins signing. With that said, let's assess the wide receiver position.
This is an opportunity to examine why some players are on the 90-man roster and the role they could play if they make the team.
In the NFL, 53 players make the roster, with 46 active on game day (excluding the third QB due to a rule change this offseason). A team may also carry 16 players on its practice squad. So even if some in this position group do not make the roster, they could stick around.
Let’s take a look at the current Patriots’ wide receivers and what the philosophy could have been when filling out the summer roster. As always, it’s not all about finding one receiver. Scheme fit and role are just as important in filling out position groups.
DeVante Parker
Height: 6-3
Weight: 218 pounds
Age: 30
Career Stats: 5,266 yards, 27 TDs
DeVante Parker is a veteran, x-receiver who excels on the boundary and above the rim. The Patriots brought in Parker last offseason with the hope that he could return to his former self. When healthy, he has the talent to be a No. 1 option for an offense.
Outside of his past performances, Parker fits on the Patriots’ roster by giving them a contested catch receiver for long situations, along with offering some good blocking in the run game. When healthy, he will stay on the field, and the Patriots’ new offense will use him at the X in most formations.
As of now, Parker is the only one who truly gives them a big-bodied “power forward” in the wide receiver room, and barring any other additions, he will allow new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to get different looks.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Height: 6-1
Weight: 215 pounds
Age: 26
Career Stats: 4,788 yards, 29 TDs
JuJu Smith-Schuster signed this offseason to replace Jakobi Meyers as the slot receiver in the Patriots offense. Smith-Schuster and Meyers both play the larger slot that has bercome more popular over the years.
Smith-Schuster is better with the ball in his hands, and with O’Brien at the helm, he will have some opportunities to make plays on offense. His role is unique, but he is the clear leader for that role. He will play in the slot but move around and be in motion, while also working alongside Parker.
He’ll win over the top, but I believe the Patriots will use him as a pseudo-running back and could dominate in run/pass option packages.
Tyquan Thornton
Height: 6-2
Weight: 182 pounds
Age: 22
Career Stats: 247 yards, 2 TDs
Tyquan Thornton, the 2022 second-round draft pick, will play a role similar to what Nelson Agholor was supposed to play. Thornton will be used primarily as a burner down the sideline, but he also has some quick feet to be able to play over the middle or be a dangerous red zone threat for the Patriots.
His roster spot is all but guaranteed because he is on the second year of his rookie contract, but he should be primed for a bigger role this season. The Patriots will need him to fill out the Z-role on clear passing downs. He can stretch and open the field and force teams to respect his blazing-fast speed.
In Year 2, Thornton should play a major role that complements Parker and Smith-Schuster in a much different way.
Kendrick Bourne
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190 pounds
Age: 27
Career Stats: 3003 yards, 17 TDs
As a result of good chemistry with Mac Jones and an explosive 2021 season, Kendrick Bourne is in the lead for the complementary Z receiver in this offense next to Thornton.
Bourne offers something a little different than the aforementioned group, as he is a hybrid between a slot and z receiver. He will get open in short areas and help move the sticks, can make plays after the catch and finds success on intermediate routes downfield.
Although he may be seen as the fourth receiver on the depth chart, he will get a good number of reps in tandem with Thornton and Smith-Schuster, depending on the package or scheme.
Like all of us, he would like to pretend like the 2022 season didn’t happen. He wasn’t used as he should have been and it led to a regression following a breakout year.
Demario Douglas
Height: 5-8
Weight: 170 pounds
Age: 22
Career Stats: Rookie
Demario Douglas was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he offers something to the Patriots offense similar to what Marcus Jones’ role was last season. It may be 20-25 percent usage, but he will play a very important gadget role and use his lateral speed with the ball in his hands to keep the defense honest.
In 2022, the Patriots split reps between five receivers, and Douglas could earn that unique package role as a weapon. He could sneak into some sets involving multiple slots, if the Patriots want to put together a speedy set of Thornton, Bourne and Douglas
Kayshon Boutte
Height: 6-0
Weight: 205 pounds
Age: 21
Career Stats: Rookie
Boutte was an impressive college athlete who, until last year, was considered the best wideout in the 2023 draft class. He will likely be on this roster as the sixth receiver for development and depth.
He plays a very similar role to Smith-Schuster or Bourne as the Hybrid slot/Z, but his upside alone should make him an important player on the roster. He will have to earn his keep through special teams, but he can learn quite a lot from the veterans ahead of him.
He can challenge the defense if he puts it together, but for now, taking a chance on the talent is a no-brainer, even if he plays a redundant role in Year 1.
Tre Nixon
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180 pounds
Age: 25
Career Stats: N/A
Nixon was selected as the final draft choice by Ernie Adams in 2021, and he has yet to crack the active roster. He will likely be a training camp body for depth and a practice squad piece for 2023, but his role is similar to former Patriot Jakobi Meyers, as a larger possession slot who can occasionally challenge the outside.
Nixon offers depth for injuries across the board, but it is likely his role will be minimal in that scenario. We have yet to see much, but there was a lot to love on tape from the seventh-rounder out of UCF in 2021.
Ed Lee
Height: 5-9
Weight: 185 pounds
Age: 24
Career Stats: Rookie
Lee was recently brought in from the University of Rhode Island to compete for a roster spot, but it was mainly to provide depth to the Demario Douglas/gadget role.
If Douglas is injured or doesn't make the team, the Patriots would likely need to throw out a whole section of their scheme. Lee gives them a chance to buffer before having to go back to Marcus Jones, who will likely play as a returner and slot corner in 2023.
Lee possesses some of the same skills, but the undrafted rookie has an uphill battle to make noise on the active roster and will likely be a practice squad developmental backup for Douglas’ role. It’s clear the Patriots have invested a ton into that role, and although it can be filled by a receiving back, it doesn’t hurt to have receiving backs and gadget receivers.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Reading the room: Evaluating wide receivers on Patriots' roster
