One of the most important chapters of the offseason has arrived, with the NFL Scouting Combine taking place from Monday, February 26, to Monday, March 4, in Indianapolis. The week-long process will see draft prospects go through different phases of evaluation in an attempt to maximize their stock, including interviewing with teams, undergoing measurements and medical examinations, and, for most, working out in front of executives, coaches, and scouts.<\/p>\n
For fans, the greatest draw is typically the on-field workouts, which will take place from Thursday through Sunday. Defensive linemen and linebackers will be up first, followed by defensive backs and tight ends on Friday, quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs on Saturday, and closing out with offensive linemen.<\/p>\n
For teams, the next week will be a calculated fact-finding mission. Each organization has certain benchmarks that must be checked when deciding how to rank prospects, whether that be explosiveness, size, or character. These interviews and testing provide much-needed context that will aid in their evaluations and help narrow down their draft boards.<\/p>\n
The Patriots should be well-represented in Indy, with\u00a0MassLive<\/em>\u2018s Mark Daniels\u00a0reporting<\/a>\u00a0Jerod Mayo and a handful of assistant coaches from his new-look staff will be in attendance. De facto general manager Eliot Wolf is also expected to speak to the media on Tuesday morning at 10 am ET. With the team embracing a more collaborative approach that includes collaboration from both the coaching staff and the front office, their presences make sense ahead of what will be a crucial few months.<\/p>\n New England has needs at nearly every position, particularly on offense. Free agency will ultimately determine which spots are needier than others, but their most glaring holes will likely be addressed with both veteran and rookie talent.<\/p>\n As Eliot Wolf told reporters Tuesday morning, the Patriots need to weaponize the offense. That starts with adding explosiveness to a receiving corps that\u2019s perennially lacked speed and separation ability. Impending free agent Kendrick Bourne was the only reliable veteran wideout last season, and his ACL injury forced rookie DeMario Douglas to carry the passing attack. DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster are still under contract, and Tyquan Thornton is still on his rookie deal, but none proved they should be viewed as more than role players in a competitive offense.<\/p>\n With that need in mind, here are the top wide receiver prospects who will be in attendance during the Combine based on NFL Mock Draft Database\u2019s consensus big board<\/a>.<\/p>\n In case you missed my previous installment:<\/p>\n