Patriots Pass Catcher One of the Best in League According to Next Gen Stats

The New England Patriots have a bunch of excellent players on the roster and one particular pass catcher seems to be a really good fit for the team.

The Patriots had a seven-game winning streak in 2021. Mac Jones was just a rookie, but he was able to establish a really good relationship with his teammates. He and Kendrick Bourne did a wonderful job together and their bond will lead the Patriots to a win.

Bourne is the perfect target. In 2021, the WR delivered 55 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns. He was definitely leading the Patriots group of receivers.

NFL’s Next Gen Stats has more details about Bourne’s performance with the Patriots. According to their records, Bourne was the fourth-best receiver in the league in Catch Rate Over Expected (CROE).

Patriots pass catcher to lead the team to a win

Bill Belichick made sure his receiving unit is packed with talent. He traded for DeVante Parker and also got Tyquan Thornton in the 2022 NFL Draft.

“Tyquan’s dope,” Bourne said. “We got to get some weight on my guy, but bro is blazing, though. Good attitude also. He’s bought in. You can tell he cares.

“I think it was a dope pick, man. We need speed and we need to add that downfield threat. And so, I think he gives us another in that part of the field. That’s another thing — learning from him, too. I can learn from him. He can learn from us. He’s in the right place. If he has the right attitude and applies himself, this type of place will take you to another level.”

Bourne and Jones won a lot of plays together. The veteran WR has nothing but praise for the young quarterback.

“It’s just at another level now,” Bourne told Mike Reiss of ESPN. “He’s more comfortable, more confident. He knows what’s going on, and the muscle memory is there — OTAs, then camp, and the season. He’s just more locked in, more secure in his position.”

Let’s see how this goes. NFL analysts and Patriots coaches have high expectations from this duo.