The 2019 first-round selection of N'Keal Harry has left a sour taste in the mouths of New England Patriots fans. In fact, Bill Belichick's entire history of drafting wideouts has been less than stellar during his time in Foxboro.
But that doesn't mean the Patriots should avoid drafting a receiver with an early pick this time around. As quarterback Mac Jones enters Year 2, a true No. 1 option is key to helping him make a leap forward in his development. Our Phil Perry laid out the importance of adding a talented "X" receiver here.
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So, which wideouts in the 2022 draft class would be the perfect fits for Jones and the Patriots? Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner joined Perry on a new episode of the Next Pats Podcast with some intriguing names.
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"I think your dream scenario is someone like Drake London falls to you, the USC wide receiver, but that is more of a pipe dream," Renner said. "I really don't think that's happening. ... He's a different animal and better than N'Keal Harry was. I didn't like N'Keal Harry coming out and I love Drake London coming out."
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Renner names Ohio State wideout Garrett Wilson as a more realistic option for the Patriots with the No. 21 overall pick.
"To me, he is perfect for that offense in that he can be your outside guy but he also runs that underneath route tree very well that New England's known for," Renner said. "A lot of those shifter guys have had success in that offense. That is him. He can do that. He's a little bit of a work of progress, he's not quite the polished product we've come to expect from Ohio State wide receivers ... but he is that guy who can win at every single level of the football field that they've been missing."
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If London and Wilson are off the board before that 21st pick, there could still be a perfect fit for New England in Round 2 when it's on the clock at No. 54 overall.
"I think the guy I'd be targeting if I'm the Patriots in the second round is someone like Skyy Moore out of Western Michigan, who is kind of -- everything I said about Garrett Wilson, you could say about Skyy Moore, but he just played at Western Michigan instead of Ohio State, so he's not going to get the same level of competition. ... To me, if Skyy Moore did play against tougher competition, he'd be getting talked about as a first-rounder."
Also discussed in this episode: Which players are the best defensive fits for the Patriots in the draft? What rules does Judy Battista think we might see change in the NFL? Could there be a change in overtime rules?
Check out the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube below: