Insider Reveals Patriots’ Potential Day Two WR Target

The New England Patriots have made some intriguing additions to their wide receiver room across the course of this offseason to bolster the passing attack's outlook for the season ahead, but they might not be quite done adding talent with the draft right around the corner.

In fact, they could have their eyes on a certain pass catcher in the class with a coveted skillset to add into the mix in the middle of this week's draft.

According to The Athletic insider Chad Graff, the Patriots are looking to add an outside, physical receiver in the draft, with Iowa State's Jayden Higgins being a name to watch.

"As for what the Pats ideally want at wide receiver in the draft, they’d love to add what they don’t have — an outside-the-numbers, big-bodied receiver," Graff wrote. "One option they’ve considered, according to a team source, is going after Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins in the second round. Higgins is 6-foot-4, 214 pounds, and ran a 4.47-second 40 — the kind of height/weight/speed profile the Patriots lack at the position."

Higgins was among one of the Patriots' top-30 visits ahead of the draft, and as a mid-round receiver option up for grabs, he could be the one New England has their eyes set on in order to fill out their passing attack with a wide set of skills.

Higgins, a 6-foot-4, physical weapon, fits the bill for what New England's looking for. During 13 games at Iowa State last season, he led the team with 87 catches and narrowly trailed Jaylin Noel for the Cyclones' second-most receiving yards in the offense at 1,183, also logging nine touchdowns in the process.

Even after a draft last year of selecting two wideouts in Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, it might not be a shock for the Patriots and Mike Vrabel to bring in their own aspired receiver talent earlier in the draft, especially if a player falls in their lap with an ideal fit to plug into for the offense like Higgins does.

Will the Patriots be fortunate enough to have Higgins fall into their lap on day two? It remains to be seen, but at the very least, he's caught some noticeable attention from the New England brass.

The 2025 NFL Draft will kick off on Thursday, April 24th in Green Bay, WI, at 8 PM ET.