Patriots Pass Catcher One of the Best in NFL According to Next Gen Stats

New England Patriots

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umbers never lie and that is the case when it comes to this New England Patriots wide receiver.

The Patriots passing game was quite impressive in 2021. Mac Jones did well in his rookie season leading the NFL in touchdowns thrown by rookie quarterbacks with 22. Part of the reason for that success is Kendrick Bourne.

Bourne had a career year in 2021 with 55 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns. His five touchdowns were the most among Patriots receivers last season.

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But the NFL’s Next Gen Stats show just how well Bourne did on the field. The Patriots wide receiver was the fourth-best receiver in the NFL in Catch Rate Over Expected (CROE). Bourne’s +9 percent shows that he was one of the best pass catchers in the league.

CROE is calculated by subtracting the Expected Catch Rate from the receiver’s actual catch rate.


What to Expect From Bourne in 2022?

Bourne has the capability to be another big producer in this upcoming season. Still, there will be some competition for targets among Patriots wide receivers.

New England has increased the depth at the position during this offseason. The Patriots biggest acquisition was making a trade with the Miami Dolphins to acquire DeVante Parker.

Parker comes to New England as the only wide receiver on the roster to ever eclipse 1,000 yards in a season. In 2021, Parker had a shortened season and recorded 40 receptions for 515 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.

The Patriots also drafted Tyquan Thornton in the second round of the 2022 draft. The speedster will look to add a new element to New England’s passing game. Bourne himself was quite excited about the rookie.

“Tyquan’s dope,” Bourne said. “We got to get some weight on my guy, but bro is blazing, though. Good attitude also. He’s bought in. You can tell he cares.

“I think it was a dope pick, man. We need speed and we need to add that downfield threat. And so, I think he gives us another in that part of the field. That’s another thing — learning from him, too. I can learn from him. He can learn from us. He’s in the right place. If he has the right attitude and applies himself, this type of place will take you to another level.”

Jakobi Meyers will also be returning after leading the Patriots in receiving yards. Meyers had 83 receptions for 866 yards and two touchdowns.


What Does Bourne Think About Mac Jones?

Bourne seems to have some great chemistry with his quarterback. The wide receiver had high praise for Jones and is excited about the quarterback heading into 2022.

“It’s just at another level now,” Bourne told Mike Reiss of ESPN. “He’s more comfortable, more confident. He knows what’s going on, and the muscle memory is there — OTAs, then camp, and the season. He’s just more locked in, more secure in his position.”

So Patriots fans should be excited about Bourne heading into this upcoming season. It could be another impressive season with Jones in 2022.

 

 

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