How Mike Vrabel, Patriots Plan To ‘Explore’ Receiver Position

Everyone wants to have a top wide receiver, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed.

But they’re not readily available.

“You usually have to draft them,” Vrabel told reporters at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, per Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan. “Then sometimes, based on circumstances, (they’re) available for trade.”

Adding talent at the wide receiver position should be one of New England’s top priorities this offseason. It’s long been a glaring weakness on the Patriots roster, and with Drake Maye solidifying his standing behind center the organization needs to get him pass-catching help.

“I think we’ll explore every opportunity that we can to add great players that we feel like are the right fit and we feel like and that can help us,” Vrabel said. “There’s only so many options in free agency and in trade and the draft. We’ll explore all three of those.”

Some realistic options for the Patriots this offseason? Tetairoa McMillan leads the list of draftees as the top wideout prospect (if Travis Hunter is cornerback). Then there are trade candidates like Cooper Kupp and Deebo Samuel with some lesser-likely trade targets including D.K. Metcalf and Chris Olave.

Tee Higgins would address the need, too, and the Patriots don’t seem to be against overspending. However, the Cincinnati Bengals reportedly plan to franchise tag Higgins if they can’t agree on a long-term contract before March 4. If that happens — a major if — it would take Higgins out of the free agency pool this offseason.

The pool, which isn’t considered to be strong, would be even weaker without Higgins. Veterans like Chris Godwin, Amari Cooper and Stefon Diggs all have injury concerns and have proven past their primes.

Again, it’s a hard position to address because teams that have top wideouts typically don’t let them go.

“I think everybody wants to have (a No. 1 receiver),” Vrabel said. “We’ve won games in certain ways in the past. What’s ideal? I’m not going to sit here and tell you we can’t do something. The better players you have, the easier it is to win in this league. That’s the bottom line.”

The best chance for the Patriots to address the need? Identify and target a floor-raising receiver in the second or third round. Vrabel and company will get a good look at those options in Indianapolis this week.