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W
ith Bill Belichick canceling the rest of the New England Patriots minicamp sessions, it’s time to look back at who stood out and who struggled. On offense, one player who fans likely haven’t heard of made a name for himself.
Mac Jones has no shortage of players to throw to heading into this season. Just looking at the wide receivers on the Patriots roster, Jones will be looking to have yet another impressive season in the NFL.
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Leading the way will be DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, and Kendrick Bourne. After being acquired via a trade with the Miami Dolphins, Parker is now the only receiver on New England’s roster to ever eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Meyers and Bourne were Jones’ favorite receivers to throw to in 2021 with Meyers racking up 866 yards and Bourne recording five touchdowns.
After that, there is playing time to be earned. N’Keal Harry has continued to struggle so far this offseason and New England also drafted Tyquan Thornton in this year’s draft. The Patriots also still have Nelson Agholor (though his place in New England isn’t solidified) and Ty Montgomery was also acquired during the offseason.
But none of these players have been as impressive as Tre Nixon. Nixon was the story of minicamp for how well he has performed.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a drill: Tre Nixon really is lighting up Patriots’ spring practices, and it’s not just a play here or there, either,” wrote WEEI’s Khari Thompson. “Nixon’s been open consistently on any kind of route and has displayed fluidity in drills that highlights what a guy with an elite three-cone time can do as a receiver when he puts everything together. Quite simply, he’s been one of the best players in Patriots’ practice this spring. Also, he has such a strong rapport with Mac Jones that he’s been running with the top offensive units almost every time Jones is on the field.”
Who Is Tre Nixon?
Nixon was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Projected to go in the fifth round by NFL.com, New England got quite a steal.
2021 was basically a redshirt year for Nixon as he failed to make the field.
Patriots fans might be aware of Nixon because he was the last pick that longtime member of the organization, Ernie Adams, made while with New England. If Adams saw something in Nixon, it makes sense for fans to be excited.
Is Tre Nixon a Hard Worker?
Nixon’s work ethic appears to be second to none. Just ask Jones. The quarterback spoke on Thursday and stated that he used to drive to the practice facility with Nixon and that he never misses a workout.
“He’s a grinder,” Jones said of Nixon.
The two connected plenty of times during minicamp. Nixon caught all 10 of his targets from Jones, including three deep balls.
So Nixon is definitley a player that Patriots fans should keep an eye on. If he continues to play well he may just earn himself some playing time in 2022.