Patriots Draft Profile: Drake Maye Would Love Xavier Restrepo

The New England Patriots have already put together a decent arsenal for Drake Maye.

Stefon Diggs joined a free agent class that already addressed several other needs when signing a multi-year deal last Friday. Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper and DeMario Douglas can be expected to provide quality reps around him, while there will be opportunities for young receivers like Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker to step up.

It’s a decent group, but far from perfect.

We don’t think they’re done adding weapons, for that very reason. Diggs was a great start, but in exploring potential mid-round options throughout this process, we’ve already talked about high-upside prospects as well as those who fit what is typically valued within the offense.

The Patriots should strongly consider adding another security blanket, though:

OVERVIEW

Restrepo might be the most underrated wide receiver in the draft, specifically when you look at his ability to produce while playing with several different quarterbacks during his time at Miami.

Cam Ward, Tyler Van Dyke and Emory Williams would all tell you the same thing, though: the dude can play.

Restrepo exploded into the national spotlight during his final two seasons with the Hurricanes, totaling 132 receptions for 2,219 yards and 17 touchdowns across 25 games over that stretch. Miami allowed him to showcase his ability to stretch the field a bit in his final season, as he improved his yards per catch from 12.8 to 16.3 — a much-needed improvement considering how he projects athletically.

NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

Restrepo didn’t do much of anything in terms of tests at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, which helps the argument for those who contend that he isn’t a good enough athlete to find consistent success at the next level.

Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 209lbs
Hand: 9 1/8″
Arm: 29 3/8″

Bench Press: 17 reps

STRENGTHS

Restrepo understands the ins and outs of the wide receiver position better than any prospect in this entire class, and you can take that as gospel.

Ward said it himself.

“The biggest thing about Strep that I think he gets mistaken for is he doesn’t get the recognition of how he runs his routes,” Ward said at the ACC Kickoff last September. “The way he can stem, the way he can win versus man. Me and him have built a connection where he knows what space I like to get to, when I like to get there. He knows when to bend his routes off flat. He knows when to keep them higher. So you know, he sees space how I see space.”

If you need someone to step in and potentially become a top target, this is your guy.

WEAKNESSES

Restrepo isn’t anywhere close to being the athlete you’d hope out of a second- or third-round pick.

We have no doubt he didn’t test at the combine because the numbers would have been sort of ugly, and he doesn’t really have the stature to make up for it. New England, or whoever ends up drafting him, would need to protect him on occasion. Do you want that responsibility?

(Restrepo ran an unofficial 4.83 forty-yard dash at his pro day, by the way.)

WOULD HE BE WORTH A SECOND-ROUND PICK?

We asked the same question with Jack Bech, and the answer was similar.

The Patriots have really strong slot options in Douglas and Diggs, so we can’t see them continuing to add players who will take reps away and disrupt the current ecosystem without providing anything new.

New England also isn’t in a position to overlook talented players due to system fit, though. It’s a really tough question to answer, but at the end of the day, Restrepo would be better served to end up with a contending team like the Kansas City Chiefs or Baltimore Ravens.

If you’d like more individual profiles, check out the full series and follow @KeaganStiefel on X.