The New England Patriots had one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season, and going into the offseason, their skill positions were an absolute mess.
However, the Patriots added some interesting pieces through the draft, selecting wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.
They also have a rather intriguing holdover from 2023: Demario Douglas.
Douglas played in 14 games during his rookie campaign last year, catching 49 passes for 561 yards. He didn’t reach the end zone, but he did display some explosiveness and could end up serving as a very viable weapon out of the slot this coming season.
That’s why Chad Graff of The Athletic has named the 2023 sixth-round pick as a top breakout candidate for New England heading into 2024.
Douglas was actually the Pats’ leading receiver last year, which says a lot more about the Patriots’ miserable offensive situation than it does about him. However, he did demonstrate some eyebrow-raising talent that could look a whole lot more impressive with a better quarterback throwing him the football (could Drake Maye be the answer?).
The Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart is up for grabs
New England does not have a clear-cut No. 1 receiver on its roster.
Veterans Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster are coming off of injuries, and free-agent addition K.J. Osborn is really more of a good No. 3 wide out (like he was with the Minnesota Vikings).
Polk probably projects to be the top guy moving forward, but he’s just a rookie.
This could open the door for a big season from Douglas, who, at the very least, gained some trust in 2023. Yes, the Pats have a new head coach and a new signal-caller, but let’s remember that Jerod Mayo did get a look at Douglas while he was the team’s linebackers coach last year.
Obviously, you don’t want someone who is 5-foot-8 being your top receiver, so I am not suggesting that Douglas should be the No. 1 option. But given the dearth of proven talent at the position for the Patriots, he could end up getting a whole lot of targets in 2024, especially if Maye starts under center (Douglas could be targeted on a lot of those short, underneath routes from Maye).
We’ll see if Douglas can indeed enjoy a breakout campaign this fall.
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