Getty Bill Belichick might pass on a fan-favorite wide receiver in the draft on Thursday.
Popular New England Patriots draft target Zay Flowers may not land with the team according to a recent report by FOX Sports insider Henry McKenna.
Flowers became a Patriots fan-favorite because of his Boston College ties where he amassed 200 receptions 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns in his career. NFL Draft experts tabbed Flowers as a potential first or second round pick despite his 5-foot-10, 117-pound frame. The Patriots picked No. 14 in the first round on Thursday, April 27, and No 46 in the second round on Friday, April 28.
“I am seeing a groundswell about Zay Flowers among Patriots fans. I’m hearing he isn’t a player they like at 14,” McKenna wrote via Twitter. “He’s one of those players they would likely only take if they can trade back. And even then, it sounded like they’d prefer to target a different position.”
Zay Flowers is capable of plays like these😳
McKenna noted the Patriots’ history of developing slot receivers, and he added that a “move back” for any of the top-tier receivers makes the most sense. The Patriots last drafted a receiver in 2019, N’Keal Harry, and he only amounted to 57 receptions for 598 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons.
Instead, McKenna speculated that the Patriots could go with a safety in the first round to help replace Devin McCourty, who retired after the 2022 season. McKenna also floated cornerbacks Emmanuel Forbes and Joey Porter Jr. or offensive tackles Broderick Jones or Darnell Wright as other draft night targets. McKenna noted that Forbes “had a memorable top-30 visit” with the Patriots.
Belichick and Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien got a good look at Flowers in January when the coaches worked with Flowers in a collegiate all-star game. Flowers also visited the Patriots in April on a top-30 visit.
NFL Insider Contradicts Henry McKenna’s Report Patriots’ Plans
NFL Network’s Peter Schrager said otherwise about Flowers during an appearance on the “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday.
“The name that I’ve heard for them is Zay Flowers,” Schrager told McAfee about the Patriots’ plans at No. 14. “If they stay at 14, that’s a possibility. And I also hear they like Lukas Van Ness, who is a pass rusher out of Iowa. But I don’t think this is the year where they just take an offensive guard out of a small school who dropped to us.”
Schrager quipped about the Patriots’ 2022 first round draft pick, Cole Strange. The former Tennessee-Chattanooga offensive guard surprised people, but he started 17 games for the Patriots and posted a 54.6 grade according to Pro Football Focus.
Patriots Need Help at Receiver Either Way
Whether or not the Patriots take the hometown favorite in Flowers, the team needs to address receiver in the draft.
The Patriots lost top receivers Jakobi Meyers to the Las Vegas Raiders and Nelson Agholor to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency last month. New England only replenished the receiver corps by signing JuJu Smith-Schuster from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patriots insider Chad Graff of The Athletic ranked receiver as the team’s No. 2 need in the draft. Graff noted that Smith-Schuster could fill the void left by Meyers, but the dropoff after Smith-Schuster is significant.