The Patriots haven't drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 1996 when then-head coach Bill Parcells selected Terry Glenn. In recent years, the team has targeted pass-catchers in later rounds but without much success.
The biggest bust would have to be Chad Jackson, a University of Florida product who New England traded up for in the second round of the '06 draft. He had 12 receptions in two seasons before the Pats cut ties with him.
Brandon Tate, an '09 third-rounder, was released before the season, although the club has high expectations for 2010 third-rounder, Taylor Price. Then there is free-agent acquisition, Chad Ochocinco, who has been invisible through five games, which hasn't gone unnoticed by the fans.
There have been successes, too. Randy Moss immediately comes to mind. And there's Wes Welker, who New England acquired in 2007 from the Dolphins for a second-round pick, the same year they landed Moss.
And while Moss grabbed most of the headlines, Welker quietly went about his job, putting up impressive numbers in one of the league's most explosive offenses. And then, when Moss was traded to Minnesota last season, Welker lost some of his touches to a passing offense that shifted its focus to the tight ends.
That's changed in 2011. Through five games, New England is 4-1 and Welker has 45 receptions for 740 yards and five touchdowns (including a 99-yard TD grab in Week 1). According to ESPN, he's on pace for 144 catches and 2,368 yards. The NFL single-season records are 143 receptions (Marvin Harrison, 2002) and 1,848 yards (Jerry Rice, 1995).
Perhaps most impressive: Welker has yet to drop a pass this season after leading the league in that category in 2010 (he had 11).
Ideally, the receptions would be more equally distributed among the wide-outs and tight ends, especially with Ochocinco now on the roster. But as has been the case since he arrived in late July, Ochocinco continues to struggle with a new offense and a playbook he doesn't yet fully grasp.
Presumably, his production will pick up as he becomes more comfortable. And that will mean even more weapons for Brady (tight end Aaron Hernandez is working his way back to full health, too). In the meantime, there's every reason to believe that Welker will continue to play like the best wide receiver in the league.
And that's not hyperbole; FootballOutsiders.com ranks him No. 1 in the WR efficiency metric ahead of Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace, Green Bay's Greg Jennings and Detroit's Calvin Johnson. Welker might be the last guy chosen for a pick-up basketball game, but he's the NFL's top pass-catcher. Pretty impressive.
