2020 NFL Draft: Should Patriots invest in Day 1 wide receivers or wait for Day 2?

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Let's face it. Even after taking N'Keal Harry in the first round of last year's draft — even if he breaks out in Year 2 — the Patriots could use more help at receiver. 

Their No. 1 guy, Julian Edelman, will be 34 years old when the season begins and is coming off a season during which he was incredibly banged-up.

Their next most experienced player in the receiver room, Mohamed Sanu, is coming off of ankle surgery and an unproductive half-season with the Patriots after being acquired via trade. They added a little-known yet intriguing speed element this offseason, Damiere Byrd, and they still have last year's undrafted rookie contributor Jakobi Meyers.

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But that unit should hardly prevent Bill Belichick from dipping back into the receiver pool this offseason. The question is: How early should he be dipping? 

One of the deepest receiver classes in years, this group has a variety of different types of receivers who'll be taken on Days 1, 2 and 3 — many of whom will end up contributors. In this exercise, we'll pair together pass-catchers with (generally) similar traits. One will be a first-round prospect the Patriots would have to "splurge" on. The other is a value option on Day 2, or a player upon whom the Patriots would "save."

SPLURGE: CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma, 6-foot-2, 198 pounds

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Perhaps the top receiver in what could be a historic draft class, the Patriots would have to do more than splurge to end up with Lamb. They'd have to give up the farm. He could very well be selected in the top 10. Going off of this draft trade chart, put together by Rich Hill of Pats Pulpit, Belichick might have to give up No. 23 overall and all three of his late third-rounders to get into that territory.

As talented as Lamb is — his polished game that is more about positioning and coordination than pure speed — that's a lot to give up for a team with myriad holes to fill.

SAVE: Michael Pittman, USC, 6-foot-4, 223 pounds

Pittman is a significantly larger individual who might be able to replicate much of what Lamb brings to the table at the next level. Pittman's 40-yard dash time was just 0.02 seconds slower than Lamb's (despite his bigger frame), his broad jump was just three inches shorter, and his vertical was actually 2.5 inches better than Lamb's.

He's not as polished with his routes, his releases, and he's not as dangerous after the catch, but Pittman had only five drops on 176 career catchable passes. If the Patriots want to make Harry more of a full-time "Z" receiver and add a big-bodied "X" they should be able to get Pittman in the second or third round. (The Patriots don't have a second-rounder at the moment.)

SPLURGE: Henry Ruggs, Alabama, 5-foot-11, 188 pounds

The Patriots have a need for speed. They just do. Byrd should help them in that regard in 2020, but Belichick and Nick Caserio shouldn't stop there. Too often last season, their offense was bogged down by pass-catchers who couldn't separate in short areas and couldn't threaten anyone deep. Deadly combination.

Ruggs is the fastest man available this year, running a 4.27-second 40 time at the combine. He's more than a track star, though. He runs effective routes. He fights for the football in the air. If he falls to pick No. 15 — where the Broncos, a trade partner for the Patriots in the past, reside — would he be worth dealing away No. 23, No. 87 and No. 100? I'd say yes. But there's another speed demon who'll be available later.

SAVE: KJ Hamler, Penn State, 5-foot-9, 178 pounds

Hamler gives up some size to Ruggs, and he never tested at the combine so we don't know what he would've clocked in the 40. But it's safe to say . . . he's fast. Like, really fast. Had he run, it's assumed by many he would've clocked somewhere in the low 4.3-second range if not in the 4.2s.

He's undersized, which may force him into the slot and a Tyler Lockett-style of role. His routes aren't all that refined and his hands were shaky at times last season. But perhaps the Patriots, needing speed the way they do, could trade into the second round to secure Hamler instead of giving up a haul of picks to land Ruggs.

SPLURGE: Jerry Jeudy, Alabama, 6-foot-1, 193 pounds

Jeudy has been a magician for the Crimson Tide over the last few seasons. The way he gets out of his breaks — stopping on a dime, decelerating and accelerating in a blink — is mesmerizing. It's also a surefire way to separate. When you combine those skills with his positional versatility to play inside or out and his high-end athleticism (4.45-second 40, 35-inch vertical, 120-inch broad), he looks like a lock to become an offensive staple wherever he's drafted.

But going and getting him could require getting into the late teens in the first round. That'd be worthy of giving up No. 87 overall, wouldn't it? Well, if the Patriots didn't want to have to pay that premium, they could wait and still come away with another route technician. 

SAVE: Van Jefferson, Florida, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds

Incredibly refined in his ability to set up routes, Jefferson is patient in attacking defensive backs, and he shows uncommon nuance in his movements to create separation. Son of former Patriots receiver (and current Jets receivers coach) Shawn Jefferson, Van is sometimes pegged as a slot-only type because of his polished routes and his explosiveness in and out of breaks. But he's an NFL-caliber athlete who can play inside or out.

He didn't test at the combine because of injury, but he was clocked at 21.05 miles per hour at the Senior Bowl — where he was voted by opposing corners as one of the Practice Players of the Week — which was faster than any other wideout that week. That was faster than Denzel Mims (top speed: 20.26 mph), who ran a 4.38-second 40 at the combine. It was faster than Chase Claypool (20.17 mph), who ran a 4.42-second 40 in Indy. Jefferson would be a steal in the third if the Patriots wanted a versatile pro.

SPLURGE: Denzel Mims, Baylor, 6-foot-3, 207 pounds

Need speed? Crisp routes? Both. Mims provides. Contested catches? Has that in his bag, too. A blocker on the outside? Sure thing. And he'll be able to co-exist with Harry because his skill set is different. Harry excels in space with the ball in his hands as a hulking wideout. Mims has the speed to threaten safeties, the size to win jump balls and the change-of-direction ability to separate on a variety of routes.

He could be available at No. 23 overall. No additional picks. Just the first-round capital. Worth it, in my opinion; I had him going to the Patriots in a mock last month. But what if you could get a big-bodied athlete on Day 2?

SAVE: Chase Claypool, Notre Dame, 6-foot-4, 238 pounds

Claypool is more than 30 pounds heavier than Mims and still posted a 40 time (4.42 seconds) that was just a hair slower. His vertical leap in Indy was a whopping 40.5 inches. Freaky stuff. And he's more than just a bundle of traits. He came down with 1,037 yards receiving for the Irish last year to go along with 13 scores and 15.7 yards per catch.

Claypool has also been a special teams standout, which should interest Belichick. And he's so big, he could potentially shift into a move tight end role. That versatility is certainly worth considering if he's there to be had in the second or third rounds.

SPLURGE: Justin Jefferson, LSU, 6-foot-1, 202 pounds

Jefferson was thought by many to be a pure slot option prior to the combine. Then he ran a 4.43-second 40, jumped 37.5 inches in the vertical and 126 inches in the broad jump, and the world realized he was big enough and athletic enough to play just about anywhere as a receiver.

He's been LSU's top receiver the last two years (165 catches combined in 2018 and 2019) thanks to his savvy route-running, his ability to find holes in zones and strong hands to haul in contested catches. He could be available at the bottom of the first round, though the receiver-needy Eagles (selecting No. 21 overall) are a popular landing spot for Jefferson in mocks. 

SAVE: K.J. Hill, Ohio State, 6-feet, 196 pounds

Hill didn't test particularly well at the combine — he posted a 4.6-second 40 and didn't run agility drills — but he looks a pretty good candidate to be the Patriots slot receiver of the future. Only Denzel Mims won more of his one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl, proving that Hill doesn't need to be a next-level athlete to uncover in the short-to-intermediate area of the field.

He met with Troy Brown in Indy and could be learning from the Patriots Hall of Famer soon if the Patriots would rather invest at wideout in the third round than the first.

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