Kenny

Lawler Jr.

A seventh-round rookie out of Cal, Lawler made some noise during the offseason program but spent the year on the practice squad. Not blessed with above-average athleticism, Lawler’s ceiling is as a possession receiver, and he will need to bulk up to fill that role. He will compete for a spot at the bottom of the roster this summer.

“He must have caught four balls that were terrific catches,” Carroll said. “He’s a guy that is noted for tremendous catching range, and he had four spectacular opportunities today, and he made them all. So I was really fired up for that.” We normally have to wait until the summer for glowing shirts-and-shorts reports, but Carroll got the ball rolling early this year. Lawler flashed excellent ball skills at Cal, but he is a limited athlete who will struggle to be anything more than a possession receiver in the NFL.

Lawler (6'3/203) turned pro following a redshirt junior season in which he earned first-team All-Pac 12, finishing his three-year career with a 143-1,706-27 (11.9 YPR) receiving line. Elevated by Jared Goff at Cal, Lawler was exposed as a sub-NFL-caliber athlete at the Combine with a 4.64 forty, 31-inch vertical, and 9-foot-3 broad jump. Lawler wins with quickness in the middle of the field and is a natural hands catcher, but he is a lanky possession receiver who adds very little after the reception. He’s essentially David Nelson.

They also had in WRs River Cracraft and Nelson Spruce for the workout. It is not surprising the Patriots are turning over every leaf with the current state of their receiver corps, but it is unlikely any of these guys make a fantasy impact.