The New England Patriots are consistently at the top of the NFL when finding talent in the NFL Draft, and while the Patriots won't be getting their first round pick back in this year's draft, New England's front office has stocked the cupboard with four picks in the top 100 selections.
New England should already be considered the Super Bowl favorite after landing some huge pieces in free agency, and they will only look to improve their roster through the 2016 NFL Draft. The Patriots top priority this offseason should be their offensive line, as NFL fans watched franchise quarterback Tom Brady consistently get knocked to the ground and pressured by the Denver Broncos defense in the AFC Championship game.
While New England's top priority should be offensive line, their front office and head coach Bill Belichick will be scouting plenty of talent in the lead-up to the draft, as they look to fill multiple holes on their roster. The Patriots have already added athletic wide receiver Chris Hogan in free agency this offseason, but they are keeping a look out for wide receivers in this draft and reportedly worked out UCLA wide receiver Devin Fuller on Wednesday.
The Bruins wide out did not receive an invitation to the NFL Combine, but that has not slowed down his NFL dream. "It was definitely disappointing for sure, but I can't dwell on it too much," Fuller said. "I know the player I can be. It just takes one team to like me."
The 6-foot, 194-pound receiver ran a 4.36 40-yard dash and posted a 36-inch vertical leap at UCLA's pro day workout. Fuller recorded 146 receptions for 1,322 yards and scored 10 touchdowns through four years at UCLA. The Bruins receiver also returned punts and kickoffs in college, averaging 11.8 yards on punt returns and 24.2 yards on kickoff returns.
Fuller has the top-end speed that NFL offenses look for, as he has the ability to get behind the defense with big-play ability, but the lack of production at UCLA has likely dropped him to the later rounds of the draft. It's unknown how interested New England is in the Bruins receiver, but the Patriots have been known to take risks on athletic players late in the draft. Patriots star slot receiver Julian Edelman played quarterback at Kent State in college, and he was a seventh round pick in New England during the 2009 NFL Draft.
Comparing Fuller to Edelman is clearly a stretch, as the Patriots receiver has become one of the best at the position in the league, but the fact remains that New England has been able to take prospects that many have passed on in past drafts and turned them into valuable players within their organization.
