Patriots’ Sleeper Pick: New England Set to Land Game-Changing WR in NFL Draft

The New England Patriots will be looking to add talent around young quarterback Drake Maye during the upcoming NFL offseason. Bringing in some more talent at the wide receiver position is expected.

Obviously, the Patriots would like to add a true No. 1 target for Maye. They have been connected to two names in particular. Both Tee Higgins and Travis Hunter would be elite targets for New England.

As great as either of those two wideouts would be for the Patriots, there is a good chance that they won’t get either of them.

If that ends up being the case, New England will have to get creative. Landing a sleeper or two in the 2025 NFL Draft would be a big help.

With that in mind, AJ Schulte of AtoZ Sports has suggested a major sleeper for the Patriots. He thinks that Texas Longhorns standout Silas Bolden could be an option for New England and has them taking him in the seventh round.

“The bottom of New England’s wide receiver room is far from settled after some rocky rookie seasons from Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. The opportunity is there to continue adding playmakers to this room,” Schulte wrote. “Silas Bolden is small, but he has a knack for making plays when the ball comes his way. What could separate him in New England’s room is his ability as a returner, with two punt return touchdowns and close to 1,500 return yards in his career at Oregon State and Texas.

Speaking of his size, Bolden stands in at 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds. He would need to bulk up a bit to stay healthy at the NFL level, but his ability to make plays could make him a dangerous addition for the offense.

Throughout his college career, Bolden has not put up gaudy numbers. He has 103 receptions for 1,343 yards and 10 touchdowns in his four years with Texas.

However, as Schulte mentioned, he has been a threat in the return game and could develop into being a solid playmaker in the slot.

Granted, this would not be the kind of move that takes the offense to the next level. The Patriots would need to do more, but he could be a nice piece to add to the offense.