Patriots Football Daily: AFC East Wide Receivers Post-Diggs

With the Buffalo Bills trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans yesterday, the New England Patriots have one less wide receiver to worry about in the AFC East. A look at the top AFC wide receivers in 2024 based on their 2023 receiving yards totals:

1,799 – Tyreek Hill, Dolphins
1,042 – Garrett Wilson, Jets
1,014 – Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins
613 – Curtis Samuel, Bills (with the Commanders)
611 – Khalil Shakir, Bills
561 – DeMario Douglas, Patriots

Miami leads the field by a considerable distance. New York is hopeful Mike Williams returns to full strength from an injury that limited him to just three games with the Chargers in 2023. Buffalo lost both Diggs and Gabe Davis from last season’s squad. New England looks to a return for Kendrick Bourne and a second-year leap for Douglas.

Adding in the 2024 NFL Draft is a priority for all these teams, other than the Dolphins. AFC East teams selected six wide receivers in the seven-round mock draft posted on Patriots Football Now yesterday:

BUF – Brian Thomas Jr., LSU (Round 1, No. 28)
NE – Devontez Walker, North Carolina (3, 68)
NYJ – Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington (3, 71)
MIA – Anthony Gould, Oregon State (6, 184)
NE – Jordan Whittington, Texas (7, 231)
NYJ – Josh Cephus, UTSA (7, 257)

Note: Polk is ranked higher than Walker on my wide receiver rankings by one spot. But since the Patriots drafted UNC QB Drake Maye at No. 3, bumping his favorite college receiver up a spot makes more sense. Had Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy been New England’s first-round pick, Polk would have been the choice in Round 3.

Also in today’s Patriots Football Daily…

New England Patriots

Patriots Football Now – Report: Eliot Wolf loves Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy

Patriots Football Now – Will New England trade back from No. 3?

NFL Draft

Patriots Football Now – Dan Kelley’s Seven-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft

Patriots Football Now – Ranking the Top 20 Quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft

AFC East News

Patriots Football Now – Bills trade Stefon Diggs out of the AFC East

CBS Sports – Dolphins “Captain Crunch” Mike Kolen dies at 76

Yardbarker – Jets new star issues major warning to the NFL

NFL News

NFL.com – Chiefs’ Rice takes responsibility for role in crash

Yardbarker – Chiefs president says team with ‘react accordingly’ to Rashee Rice situation

ESPN – Caleb Williams takes official visit with the Chicago Bears

CBS Sports – Projecting six new NFL playoff teams for 2024

Patriots Football Now – Introducing the Back Kicker to the NFL

Boston Bruins

Go to our sibling site Boston Hockey Now to check out the great Boston Bruins coverage from Jimmy Murphy and the BHN team. The NHL season is underway and plenty is happening in the Bruins 100 Anniversary season.

Boston Hockey Now – Bruins Daily: Fight Night at MSG

PFN+

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Football Fun Fact of the Day

Today New England Patriots legend John Hannah turns 73. He is tied for the most first-team All-Pro selections of any guard in NFL history. Last season Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin tied Hannah with his seventh selection.

Post of the Day

Today’s post is from Old Time Football, featuring birthday boy and New England Patriots legend John Hannah…

Happy Birthday John Hannah.#Patriots pic.twitter.com/gkb7tKZRi5

— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) April 4, 2021