Patriots Training Camp 3 To Watch: Wide Receivers

As the New England Patriots march closer to training camp, Patriots Country highlights three players at wide receiver on whom Pats fans might want to keep a sharp eye.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots corps of wide receivers will be among the most watched, and potentially most scrutinized areas of the roster heading into the upcoming 2022 NFL season.

In the aftermath of the team drafting former Baylor wideout Tyquan Thornton in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, New England is currently eleven players deep at the position.

Thornton joins DeVante Parker, Ty Montgomery, Jakobi Meyers, N’Keal Harry, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Kristian Wilkerson, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Malcolm Perry and Tre Nixon on the depth chart.

While Matthew Slater is logistically listed as a receiver, his contributions are almost exclusively tied to special teams. Therefore, each of the members of the Pats’ wide receivers room will be called upon to play a more crucial role in the upcoming season.

With the first Patriots set to report for training camp in less than two weeks, here are three Pats receivers who might catch a ‘sharp eye’ this summer.

DeVante Parker

In April, the Patriots secured Parker’s services, via a rare intra-divisional trade with their AFC East rivals. New England sent a third-round selection in the 2023 draft to the Dolphins, in exchange for Parker and a fifth-round selection in 2022. In doing so, New England gained a true vertical presence on the perimeter, capable of winning his matchups both on the outside and downfield. The 6-3, 219-pound product of Louisville has the size and the speed to instantly make an impact on the Patriots passing offense.

In 2021, the 29-year-old finished with 40 catches for 515 yards and two touchdowns. It should be noted that his season was interrupted by hamstring and shoulder injuries. Despite a long injury history, however, Parker’s talent and potential upside were clearly worth the price.

Parker is the type of receiver who can thrive in New England’s timing-based offense. He has the size and toughness to make contested catches, while giving quarterback Mac Jones a viable red zone target at the receiver position. In addition, Parker is particularly adept at gaining yards after the catch, a trait which Jones values in his receivers. The new Pats wideout has averaged 14 yards-per-reception throughout his career. In fact, he has never averaged fewer than 11 yards-per-reception in any of his seven seasons in the league. If he can replicate that type of production, Parker will prominently factor into the Pats offensive game plan for 2022.

Nelson Agholor

Following a career year with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, Agholor got off to a hot start with the Pats in 2021. In Week One against the Miami Dolphins, the 28-year-old compiled 72 yards receiving, with one touchdown. Incidentally, he will hold the distinction of hauling in quarterback Mac Jones’ first touchdown pass in a Patriots uniform. However, Agholor’s production slowed as the season progressed. He finished the season as fourth on the list of most targeted Patriots’ pass catchers, while being fifth on the team in receptions. In his first season with the team, he caught 37 passes for 473 yards and three touchdowns.

While Agholor has been diligent in his preparations for the upcoming season, he has also been the subject of trade rumors. If released, his dead money would amount to approximately $10 million — or $5 million if traded. According to Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, the $5 million difference results from his $5 million in fully-guaranteed salary. If Agholor is moved via trade, the responsibility to pay said amount would go to his new team. As such, the Patriots would save approximately $4.9 million against the cap if they were to trade Agholor. A strong camp performance would bolster his chances of remaining with the Patriots for 2022. Still, his status will continue to be closely monitored in the coming weeks.

Tre Nixon

Following a standout performance during mandatory minicamp, Nixon is beginning to demonstrate some of the promise which Adams saw in him during the 2021 draft process. Though he spent the entirety of his rookie season on the Pats’ practice squad, the 24-year-old has been a standout performer at the position; quickly becoming one of Jones’ favorite targets, who connected with Nixon on a 40+ yard pass during the first day of practice. In his second day of action, the Central Florida product made five catches, while seeing time both on the perimeter and in the slot. Once again, Nixon was on the receiving end of a 60-yard bomb from Jones, which he hauled in with one arm through tight coverage.

Though his relationship with his quarterback continues to grow, Nixon realizes that there is still much to learn, and much left to accomplish. Despite facing some stiff competition at the position, Nixon projects as a vertical deep threat, with the ability to use his speed to shed defenders at the line. Though he has typically lacked some physicality, Nixon has demonstrated the necessary toughness to make catches in tight coverage. With the start of training camp fast approaching, he intends to use his time to absorb as much on-field experiences and knowledge as possible.