Patriots Are Perfect Fit for Major NFL Draft Sleeper
The New England Patriots are entering the offseason with a wealth of cap room, so they are hoping to make some major moves in free agents.
Perhaps the most significant signing the Patriots are hoping to make is wide receiver Tee Higgins, but there is a pretty big chance that doesn't happen.
There will definitely be other receiver options available for New England, but if it misses out on Higgins, it will really have to get creative to fill this massive hole.
That could mean turning to the NFL Draft, and while stars like Tetairoa McMillan and Luther Burden are generating all of the headlines, there is a huge sleeper pick that won't be going in the first round in April: Stanford Cardinal receiver Elic Ayomanor.
Ayomanor is probably most known for his breakout game against the Colorado Buffaloes in 2023, when he racked up 13 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns against Travis Hunter.
He ended up hauling in 62 receptions for 1,013 yards and six scores overall, so while he did a bit chunk of damage versus Colorado, he also produced the rest of the way.
This season, Ayomanor caught 63 passes for 831 yards and six scores, establishing himself as a serious NFL prospect.
Ayomanor could stand to be a bit more polished, but at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he possesses terrific size for a professional wide out. On top of that, he is blessed with very impressive speed and outstanding hands, so he has all the tools to be successful on the NFL level.
It will be important for the Pats to hit on these types of draft picks, as they certainly didn't do so last year when they selected Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.
Ayomanor absolutely cannot be the Patriots' only answer, but if they are able to add a couple of established NFL receivers during the offseason and then pick up Ayomanor in the draft, they could be sitting pretty heading into 2025.