Patriots Reportedly Set To Host Alabama Receiver John Metchie For Top-30 Visit
BOSTON (CBS) -- If the Patriots end up drafting a receiver later this month, they may bring in someone who enjoyed success with Mac Jones at Alabama. New England is reportedly set to host John Metchie III for a top-30 visit on Tuesday.
That is according to Jordan Schultz, who reported Monday that Metchie also has meetings with the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars set for this week. Tuesday will be the second time that New England chats with Metchie during the team's pre-draft process, as they also met with the receiver at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
Metchie broke out during his sophomore season at Alabama when Jones was quarterbacking the Crimson Tide, catching 55 passes for 916 yards and six touchdowns. Those big numbers came when he was sharing the field with Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, and he had an even bigger season in 2021. As a junior, Metchie snagged 96 passes for 1,142 yards (both of which ranked third in the SEC) and eight touchdowns in 2021.
But his draft stock took a bit of a hit after he tore his ACL in the SEC Championship Game last December, with Metchie falling from a projected first-round selection to a likely Day 2 pick. He believes he'll be ready to go by June, but the injury could scare off some teams come draft time.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Metchie has said that it would be pretty cool to reunite with Jones and try to replicate the success that former LSU teammates Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase were able to recreate for the Bengals last season. And the Patriots certainly have a thing for Alabama players, drafting at least one former Crimson Tide player in each of the last three drafts.
New England currently owns one second-round pick (No. 54 overall) and one third-round pick (85th overall) in the draft.