Patriots may draft a true A.J. Brown alternative

The New England Patriots were quick to move on from Stefon Diggs after just one season. The former Buffalo Bills star wasn’t a factor in the playoffs, even after topping 1,000 receiving yards for the season.

Mike Vrabel’s team signed former Green Bay Packers WR Romeo Doubs as his replacement, but they might still want to add more firepower to the wide receiver corps.

They're also keeping tabs on Philadelphia Eagles star WR A.J. Brown, so they clearly want a big and strong pass catcher who can be physical in the vertical passing game. 

Considering that, Garrett Podell of CBS predicted that they will be all over Washington’s Denzel Boston with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (No. 31).

The Patriots could land a true star in Denzel Boston

“Denzel Boston is a tank who can line up in the slot and outside and blow through press coverage, and 2025 NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye will certainly enjoy having him to throw to in addition to free agency acquisition Romeo Doubs," Podell wrote.

For starters, Boston’s jersey sales in Massachusetts would be an instant hit. But marketing plans aside, he’s also one of the most intriguing pass catchers in this year’s loaded WR class.

While he might be the fifth or sixth wide receiver off the board, that doesn’t have anything to do with his skills. He’s big, strong and his physicality helps him dominate in 50/50 ball situations. 

He’s also proven that he can handle a WR1-type workload, even though he might need a year or two before reaching that type of level in the pros.

The Patriots could still be in the mix to make a move for Brown at some point, and their Super Bowl run exposed how far behind the passing game is compared to the defense.

But even if they don’t get Brown, having Doubs as a place-holding WR1 with Kayshon Boutte and Denzel Boston as developmental pieces would be a promising picture for Mike Vrabel’s team.