Making Drake Maye’s life easier has been the theme of the offseason for the New England Patriots.
After giving their quarterback an All-Pro wide receiver in Stefon Diggs, the next order of business was protecting his blindside, which they accomplished by drafting Louisiana State University offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 overall pick on Thursday.
The Patriots had Maye on their mind when deciding what to do with their top-five pick, and they are expected to prioritize their quarterback on Day 2 of the NFL Draft as well.
Bleacher Report has the Patriots taking Ole Miss University wide receiver Tre Harris with the 38th pick in their latest mock draft. Harris had a prolific career with the Rebels while playing in the Southeastern Conference, widely considered the toughest conference in college football.
Despite only playing seven games last season, Harris eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards and caught seven touchdowns. Harris was a consistent offensive threat during his time in Oxford, recording at least 900 receiving yards in three straight seasons.
Selecting Harris at the top of the second round would be good news for Maye, but bad news for Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.
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Despite emerging as a reliable target for Maye toward the end of last year, especially against the Buffalo Bills, Boutte might not see a third season in Foxborough.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter listed Boutte as a potential trade candidate, and the former LSU product will only become more expendable if the Patriots elect to use their second-round pick on a wide receiver.
New England hasn’t had great success finding wide receivers in the draft; look no further than last year’s second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk. But Harris could be the type of prospect that bucks the trend and gives Maye a much-needed weapon on the outside.
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