Eliot Wolf
Getty
New England Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf received some good news when an "interesting prospect" declared for the 2025 NFL draft.
Mock draft season is upon us, and one analyst has the New England Patriots selecting a playmaking wide receiver from the SEC. NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry predicted New England will draft Kevin Concepcion out of Texas A&M with the 31st overall pick in the NFL draft.
Concepcion had a tremendous year for the Texas A&M Aggies last season. He had 61 catches for 919 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 15.1 yards per reception. He had several games last season where he was able to showcase his explosive playmaking ability. He had seven catches for 113 yards against Auburn. He was also able to tally seven catches for 158 yards against South Carolina. He had two games with two touchdowns on the year.
The wideout also left his mark as a return specialist. He led the SEC in punt return yards with 460. He was also effective in returning kickoffs. He had 14 kickoff returns for 346 yards, averaging 24.7 yards per return.
The accolades followed his performance. He was given the 2025 Paul Hornung Award, which is given to the most versatile player in college football. He was also named to the Associated Press All-America First-Team as an all-purpose player. He was also a First-Team All-SEC wide receiver, a First-Team All-SEC return specialist, and a First-Team All-SEC All-Purpose player.
Perry States His Case For New England Patriots
Now, Perry believes that Conception would add another element to the Patriots’ offense. He stated his case earlier this week, and NESN’s Aaliyan Mohammed reported this.
“Explosiveness. Separation. Versatility. Those are three words that immediately come to mind when watching Concepcion,” Perry wrote on Wednesday. “His quickness as a route-runner and burst with the ball in his hands are outstanding. Combine those traits with an innate feel for open spaces and a refusal to go down upon first contact, and you have a potential game-changer in Josh McDaniels’ offense.”
The Patriots have an emerging wide receiver room. Veteran wideout Stefon Diggs came to the organization last year. He recorded 1,013 yards and four receiving touchdowns, giving the organization its first 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019.
The Patriots also had other receivers step up. Mack Hollins had 46 catches for 550 yards and two touchdowns. Kayshon Boutte had 33 catches for 551 yards and six touchdowns. Demario Douglas also stepped up in a big way as well. He recorded 31 catches for 447 yards and three touchdowns.
The production was there for the Patriots in the wide receiver room. Nevertheless, they could use another playmaker to help them stretch the field. Concepcion would also give the Patriots a younger playmaker. Diggs is 32 years old and is in the prime of his career. Drafting Conception now would allow him to develop at a high level, as well as develop for the future.
A New Weapon for the New England Patriots
Getting a new weapon for Drake Maye is extremely important. Conception can be that playmaking weapon. He can make explosive plays at a high level and also provide value on special teams. That versatility could come in handy for a Patriots team that needs more explosiveness on offense. The team has several holes that they need to address on that side of the ball. However, this would be a solid start.
The Patriots would be wise to surround Maye with as many playmakers as possible. Conception would not be the answer for it all, but he would undoubtedly be a solid place to start.