Breaking down the WRs ahead of training camp

The New England Patriots are in a strange position of having too many mediocre to above-average receivers. Their depth chart doesn’t feature a top-flight receiver, but they have a group of five wideouts that might qualify as a WR2 or WR3 on most rosters. It will be an interesting — and perhaps everchanging — complexion of receivers from week to week during the regular season.

It’s possible the Patriots feature a different receiver, depending upon their matchup in a given week. One player could play 100% of snaps one week — only to play 30% the next week. But because they have that core of talent, the Patriots might have a handful of tough decisions, likely involving cuts or trades from the back end (or the top) of the depth chart.

Let’s dive into our training camp preview of the receiver position.

Locks to make the team: Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton

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Meyers might just ink a long-term deal with the Patriots, and even if he doesn’t, he’s on a team-friendly deal. The team will want Mac Jones’ favorite third-down target in a Patriots uniform in 2022. Similarly, Bourne was one of Jones’ favorite targets. There’s no way he’s going anywhere.

New England drafted Thornton in Round 2, so while he might not play much this season, he’s definitely making the roster. And DeVante Parker cost the Patriots a third-round pick, so it would be stunning if he missed the cut. They will all be important players for the team in 2022 and, in some cases, beyond.

On the bubble: Nelson Agholor, Tre Nixon, Ty Montgomery

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I’ve been hammering this point all offseason — maybe too hard. But I think there’s a chance the Patriots could trade Agholor before the start of the 2022 season. If Thornton looks like the player they hope he’ll be (a capable deep threat), then New England can pull the plug on their Agholor experiment. But the only way to do that is a trade — so they also need to find a trade partner, which might be tricky considering his rough year in 2021.

Nixon was the standout at minicamp. That has vaulted him into this list of bubble players. He will be one of the players to monitor when the team puts on pads. Will he disappear? Or will his ascent continue?

Montgomery provides interesting special teams value and the versatility to play both running back and receiver — though the…