Prototypical Patriots: Adding more receiver options to a crowded field?

Just look at the Patriots roster. Go ahead. Organize the list by position. Then scroll down to where you start to see players with "WR" next to their names. I'll wait.

Whole bunch of those guys, right? The glut of players Bill Belichick has at that position at the moment would seem to indicate a couple of things.

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First, they like the depth they've been able to build. They have competitive players competing for limited roster spots, which means the end result will be an effective group where the strongest have survived training camp cuts.

Second, they're not entirely sure who will emerge as the best options for them. More options mean more opportunities to hit. It's a numbers game.

PROTOTYPICAL PATRIOTS - Previously in the series:

Yet, even with all the numbers the Patriots have at receiver, that doesn't take them out of the receiver market in this draft. Julian Edelman is in his early 30s. Chris Hogan is in the final year of his contract. Malcolm Mitchell missed all of last season with a knee injury and has dealt with knee issues going all the way back to his days at the University of Georgia.

It would come as no surprise if the Patriots wanted to look for the next centerpiece around which to build their receiver room. They've reportedly met with two of the top pass-catchers in the class, Maryland's DJ Moore and Texas A&M's Christian Kirk, and there are a handful of others who fit the athletic profile shared by other receivers the Patriots have drafted in the past.