Patriots Negotiate With ‘High-Level Perimeter Weapon’

The New England Patriots have issues with their offense and head coach Bill Belichick is looking for strong players this offseason. According to several sources, the Patriots may have found a talented perimeter weapon.

Ryan Fowler from Draft Network reported that Stanford wide receiver Michael Wilson had visited the Patriots this week. In five years with the Cardinal, Wilson was able to catch 134 passes for 1,662 yards and 11 touchdowns in 36 games.

“High-level perimeter weapon who stood out at the Senior Bowl and is the type of leader you want in your locker room for a long, long time,” Fowler wrote.

Wilson was brilliant in the Senior Bowl, too. He caught four passes for 76 yards and sure made a good impression with his 44-yard pass. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said that this performance sure improved Wilson’s draft stock.

The only touchdown pass of the Senior Bowl: Fresno State QB Jake Haener to Stanford WR Michael Wilson. 44-yarder#FresnoState #GoDogs #Stanford #GoStanford @BarkBoard @Stanford_247
pic.twitter.com/YDFX5HGsEi

— Jackson Moore (@JacksonMoore247) February 4, 2023

“Nobody changed [his] narrative more at [the] Senior Bowl than Stanford’s Michael Wilson,” Nagy tweeted. “Most NFL scouts pegged Wilson as ‘A-plus character’ and polished ‘possession guy’, but he showed [a] different set of gears in Mobile. Wilson was [a] big riser moving from likely fifth to possible third-rounder.”

Wilson was equally impressive at the NFL Combine. He did 23 reps and can still work on his speed.

Patriots could find great use for the perimeter weapon

The talented player is a good option for the Patriots with his 6’2’’ and 213 pounds. Mike D’Abate discussed Wilson’s role with the Patriots and his contribution to the offense.

“For the Patriots, Wilson’s ability to ‘sell’ vertical routes makes him a prototypical fit in O’Brien’s offense,” D’Abate wrote. “During his time at Stanford, Wilson was often on the receiving end of wide receiver screens, quick outs, and crossers to get the ball into his hands quickly and in space. This allows the offense to operate in schemes which create space for underneath options. Coincidentally, Pats quarterback Mac Jones was at his most efficient when running this type of offense at Alabama.”

There’s one major issue though. Wilson is prone to injuries. He sat out the end of the 2020 season due to a foot injury and also missed time in 2022.

“He’s a first round receiver on film,” Simms said. “There’s no doubt about that. But those are some tough injuries when you [expletive] is on the line and you’re going, ‘wait, I need a receiver who can help me right now and hopefully the next 3-4 years’”.