Will Luke McCaffrey, a draft prospect, continue the family legacy by following in their footsteps? It appears likely that he will be given the chance. Additionally, the New England Patriots may be the ones to take advantage of this opportunity, given the need to strengthen their offensive arsenal.

Hard data

Luke McCaffrey’s name

Placement: Broad receiver

Rice in school

Age on opening day: 23 (4/2/2001)

Measurements: 6’1 1/2″, 198 lbs, 30 1/8″ arm length, 9 5/8″ hand size, 74 1/2″ wingspan 9.40 Relative Athletic Score, 4.46 40-yard sprint, 4.02 short shuttle, 6.7 3-cone, 36″ vertical jump, and 10’1″ broad jump

Experience

Career stats: 210 targets, 131 catches (62.4%), 1,732 receiving yards, 19 touchdowns | 124 carries, 1,032 rushing yards (7.0 yards/carry), 7 touchdowns | 88-of-154 (57.1%), 921 throwing yards, 5 touchdowns, 10 interceptions | 13 fumbles

Honors include Academic All-Big Ten (2020) and First-team All-AAC (2023).

At Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where he played a variety of positions under his father Ed, McCaffrey was seen as a four-star recruit who was making the transition to a college setting. Several power-5 institutions offered him scholarships, but in the end, he chose to attend the University of Nebraska, where he began his career as a dual-threat quarterback.

But after starting just two games in two seasons, his playing time with the Cornhuskers varied, and he ultimately made the decision to transfer. After joining Louisville at first, McCaffrey moved again in less than four months. At last he made it to Rice, where he would complete his last three years of education.

In his first season with the Owls, McCaffrey continued to play quarterback, albeit he again saw only patchy success. In the spring of 2022, however, he switched to wide receiver, his high school position. He hadn’t played wide receiver for Rice for a while, but he immediately found his feet. In his two years there, he caught 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 19 touchdowns.

preliminary profile

Expected round: 6-7; major board consensus:No. 121 | Senior Bowl: Patriots game

Strengths: At slightly under 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, McCaffrey is a sizeable player who has demonstrated strong performance in pre-draft testing. For his final two collegiate seasons, he returned to wide receiver thanks to his innate athletic gifts, and he demonstrated some consistent improvement.

McCaffrey possesses the hands, focus, and spatial awareness needed to contend for contested catches. Although he isn’t the fastest straight-line runner, he shifts into a faster stance quickly and has enough subtlety in his route running to test defenses on all three levels. Additionally, he has demonstrated his ability to alter directions successfully, both on comeback routes and in-and out-breaking patterns.

Despite not being the most physically intimidating player and having began his college career at quarterback, McCaffrey is not scared of contact, either while blocking or running crossing routes. In addition, he has a good sense for seeing gaps in opposition to zones and can produce yards after the catch. In 2023, he also served as the team captain.

Weaknesses: McCaffrey is not the best player in this area, but he is a willing blocker. In order to avoid being forced off his spot or out-leveraged, he needs to improve at maintaining his blocks throughout the run game. This lack of elite play strength could also be a problem when facing press-man coverage or defensive backs who can remain on his hips during his routes; NFL competition makes it harder to make spectacular-looking contested grabs.

His inexperience as a wide receiver also shows through on a frequent basis. He needs to find a method to consistently get into his route and shake off his defenders, and his route running needs to be more precise all the way to the catch point. Because of his little experience with special teams in college, he might not be able to contribute straight away.

Patriots sneak peek

What would his function be? Since he switched from quarterback to wide receiver, McCaffrey will inevitably be compared to former Patriots wide out Julian Edelman. Despite the fact that they are distinct individuals, New England may handle the latter in the same way that it treated the former: put him on the field as a gifted but undeveloped player and work things out from there. McCaffrey projects as an inside option who is positionally versatile right now, but he can potentially be useful in other capacities.

What room for growth does he have?Although McCaffrey’s potential is still unknown, there is no denying that he has a lot more room to develop as a wideout. He should improve as a player just by gaining more wide receiver experience. When you combine it with his innate athleticism, you have a talent that has a strong chance of leading the NFL for several years.

Is he versatile in his position?Although McCaffrey is currently a wide receiver, he has experience as a quarterback and a ball carrier. His primary responsibility will be football reception, but he may also be utilized as a scout team quarterback, trick play, jet sweep, or other misdirection run play. However, his offensive versatility is limited. The 22-year-old has not proven he can be a reliable player on special teams, and unless he can improve as a blocker, there are worries he won’t be able to establish a regular position in the third phase of the game.

The Patriots: Why?With his strong base athleticism and nearly 6-foot-2 stature, McCaffrey seems like an ideal fit for a club captained by Eliot Wolf. And not only that, but he would provide New England with extra developmental depth at a time when it is desperately needed. His upside is undoubtedly fascinating. The Patriots cannot afford to pass on talent, particularly at the beginning of what appears to be a protracted rebuilding process.

The Patriots, why not?Despite the fact that the Patriots would only need to select on the third round to acquire McCaffrey, they might rather target safer late-round picks this year – players who are not as likely to be “boom or bust” as McCaffrey but who would be more important in the mix in 2024. Of course, late-round selections are always risky, but a receiver who hasn’t played much on special teams and still has a long way to go before being ready for an NFL game may not be deemed desirable enough.

In a nutshell: McCaffrey is a raw player with some fascinating potential, but as a long-term project, it’s unrealistic to expect him to start on the field right away.

How do you feel about the Patriots pursuing Luke McCaffrey? A good bet in the later rounds? or just not worth the financial outlay? To share your thoughts, please go to the comment area.