If you had witnessed New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman strut across the practice field as a rookie in 2009, you would have been hard-pressed to offer up the notion that he would one day become the top receiver on a perennial dynasty.
Julian Edelman embracing role as leader of the wideout corps
However, Edelman's impeccable work ethic has brought him a 1,000-yard receiving season, a Super Bowl title, and the moniker of suspended quarterback Tom Brady's favorite receiving target over the past three years. Furthermore, the Kent State product has risen to local celebrity status in Boston solely matched by Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski, landing invites to take batting practice at Fenway Park while dating a supermodel as well.
Now, fully recovered from offseason foot surgery to repair an injury that sidelined him for seven regular season games last fall, Edelman is ready to take the next step in his development and perhaps earn his first Pro Bowl nod, something he likely was on pace for through the opening nine games of 2015. A season after racking up 935 receiving yards on 92 catches in 2014, Edelman caught 61 passes on 88 targets for 692 yards and seven touchdowns last year, recorded an average of 11.3 yards per catch.
He enjoyed two games of double-digit receptions and four games of double-digit targets, breaking out for 120 yards and a touchdown in an October victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He managed to return from his foot injury to garner 100 yards on 10 receptions in New England's 27-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Division Playoff last January, but was limited to just 53 yards by the vaunted defensive attack of the eventual Super Bowl-champion Denver Broncos a week later in the AFC Championship Game.
Entering his eighth season in the league, the 5'10", 200-pound workhorse has developed the route-running intangibles necessary to become the powerhouse slot receiver that could make quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's experience throughout the first four games of 2016 that much easier. Across from Edelman, generally on the inside of the formation, will be Danny Amendola, who caught 65 passes for 648 yards and three scores in his third season in New England in 2015.
Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan look to create one-two punch
Plagued by the injury bug over the past couple seasons, including knee and ankle issues which forced him to undergo surgery this offseason, Amendola has not been the most consistent wideout for New England, but he did break out for a few impressive performances last year. He hauled in seven passes for 105 yards in an October win over the Indianapolis Colts while garnering 117 yards on nine catches in a November victory over the division rival Buffalo Bills.
Amendola's willingness to restructure his contract for the second consecutive season also allowed the Patriots to go out and add ammunition to the receiving corps, as they locked up former Buffalo wide receiver Chris Hogan in March. While Hogan did spend the majority of his time with the Bills performing in a slot role with fellow wideout Sammy Watkins manning the outside "X" receiver position, he did receive time on the outside and possesses the combination of size and speed that makes him a valuable deep threat for Brady and Garoppolo.
Hogan had seven receptions of 20+ yards for 219 yards and two scores last season while garnering a total of 450 receiving yards on 36 catches. His unique agility at the size of 6'1", 220 pounds brings versatility to the table and expect him to see snaps lined up both at the slot position and on the outside.
Malcolm Mitchell, Keshawn Martin likely to land roles as fourth, fifth WRs
With Edelman, Amendola, and Hogan likely to see the majority of the playing time at the position, that leaves room for two more roster spots for the likes of Keshawn Martin, Aaron Dobson, Malcolm Mitchell, Nate Washington, and Chris Harper to compete for. Considered a fourth-round steal by many out of Georgia, Mitchell enjoyed plentiful success at Patriots minicamp, displaying the incredible hands that allowed him to drop just three passes on 93 targets in 2015.
Furthermore, while compiling 174 total receptions for 2,350 yards and 16 scores in a pro-style offense over the course of his career with the Bulldogs, Mitchell was forced to develop a keen sense for a complicated playbook, something that will translate well to New England. He also developed the skill of being able to adjust his routes according to defensive looks, and is a published author as well, showcasing the intelligence which should land him a roster spot with the Patriots.
For the fifth and final receiving position, the nod will most likely fall into the hands of Martin. After being acquired from the Houston Texans early on last season, the fifth-year professional spent time receiving looks from Brady at both the outside and inside receiving positions, displaying his versatility. He caught 24 passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the season, the highest marks of his career all-around while recording 57 yards in the postseason victory over Kansas City.