Next up at the NFL Scouting Combine is a position that the Patriots continue to search for a difference-maker at, with the wide receiver showcase taking place on Saturday.

Along with a deep running back class and the quarterbacks, the wide receivers took to the Lucas Oil Stadium field for their workouts in Indianapolis. New England enters an offseason where they hope to acquire a game-breaking receiver to pair with second-year QB Drake Maye. Although the trenches are a top priority, giving Maye his version of Burrow-to-Chase or Allen-to-Diggs would immensely help their talented young quarterback. Maye proved in his rookie season that his future is bright, so now is the time to provide him with as much help as possible.

Unfortunately, there's skepticism around the league about finding an elite No. 1 receiver in this year's draft. Besides the possible exception of two-way star Travis Hunter, it's considered a down year for wide receivers at the top of the first round. Aside from the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, the only other receiver prospect in play for New England with the No. 4 overall pick (or in a trade-down) is Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan wins with impressive fluidity to change directions at his size and high-end body control to win in contested situations or make acrobatic catches.

Heading into the combine, my pro comparison for McMillan was Falcons WR Drake London. London, who Atlanta selected with the eighth overall pick in 2022, is a good receiver who broke out for 1,271 yards and nine scores last season. But, for McMillan, a London-like ceiling isn't on par with a typical top-five draft pick, like a Ja'Marr Chase. McMillan can create separation, but he doesn't have great acceleration off the line of scrimmage to describe his game as overly dynamic. There are also concerns about his top-end speed, which McMillan didn't put to rest yet because he opted out of testing at the combine.

McMillan said he had a "good" meeting with the Patriots brass in Indianapolis this week. As one would expect, the Pats are doing their due diligence on the top non-Hunter wide receiver in this year's class. Although he didn't participate in the combine, McMillan weighed in with measurements similar to London's to solidify that comparison.

There's a path to McMillan being the Patriots top pick in this year's draft, but there's a lukewarm feeling about McMillan and the talent in this class as a whole around the league. It's more likely that New England throws another dart at the position in the second-to-fourth-round range. Plus, it's worth discussing a loaded running back group that, along with the defensive line and tight ends, is considered the strength of the draft.

Without further ado, here are the top takeaways from day three at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Note: RAS stands for Relative Athletic Score. A score out of 10 that compares combine testing numbers to a baseline average at each position.

Stock Up, Box Checked, and Stock Down for the Wide Receiver Participants in Indy

Unless the Patriots target Hunter or McMillan on day one, New England could focus on another dart throw at a day two or three prospect to find the elusive wide receiver it covets.

There's a day-two steal almost every year, like Chargers WR Ladd McConkey last season. The best way to organize the athletic testing numbers for the wide receiver is to play a little game of stock up, stock down, so here it goes.

Stock Up

- Texas WR Matthew Golden made his case for WR3 by running the fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers at 4.29s. Golden is a fluid, efficient, and fast route-runner on film. Still, the 4.2-speed is faster than expected. Golden doesn't have great size (5-11, 191) to play at the X, but his profile suggests he'll be a starting Z receiver at the next level. Golden locked himself into the first round with his workout in Indy, likely somewhere in the late teens or early 20s.

- Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel is officially "my guy" in this receiver class. Noel is an excellent route runner with snappy breaks and burst all over his film. Then, Noel had a stellar combine workout with a 4.39s 40-yard dash, 41.5-inch vertical jump, an 11' 2" broad jump, and a 6.82s three-cone. Combining the film with a 9.56 RAS gives you a DUDE at the wide receiver position. From this perspective, Noel has all the makings of this year's Ladd McConkey.

- Jayden Higgins needs to run routes more urgently than he did at Iowa State, but Higgins proved he's a sneaky-good athlete with a 4.47s 40-yard dash and a 39-inch vertical jump to record an elite 9.87 RAS. I'm a fan of Higgins's craftiness, ability to use his body to shield the catch point, and he can win above the rim as a downfield target. My pro comparison was Michael Pittman Jr. from the Colts, who is more of a big possession receiver than a deep threat. I'm beginning to think that Higgins should be in the conversation for the Patriots with the 38th overall pick.

- Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor improved his stock with a 4.44s 40-yard dash, answering questions about top-end speed. He is also very explosive, which shows up on film and in athletic testing (38.5-inch vertical). Ayomaor's 9.56 RAS will put him squarely in the second-round conversation. He's a physical receiver who can beat around press coverage and instantly accelerate to stack over the top. He is also a big-time slant route winner who can get YAC. He'll likely land somewhere between the Pats first two picks on day two, No. 38 and No. 68.

- Maryland WR Tai Felton is someone we'll dig deeper into after posting an elite 9.60 RAS with a 4.37s 40-yard dash and a max speed of 23.43 MPH in the 40, third among WRs. Felton separates well on film, and his on-field work confirmed his burst through the top of his routes. He made a case to be a late day-two pick with a strong showing in Indy.

- Colorado WR Jimmy Horn Jr. was the day-three receiver who helped himself the most. Horn ran a 4.46s 40-yard dash and registered elite explosiveness grades (38-inch vertical). Horn also posted the top speed during the gauntlet drill at 19.81 MPH. He's a twitched-up mover.

- Washington State WR Kyle Williams is another speedy receiver who helped his stock with a 4.40s 40-yard dash and an impressive on-field workout. Williams has the burst to create separation and can run away from defenders as a ball carrier after the catch. He could be a steal on day three after a solid Senior Bowl and combine.

Box Checked

- The questions for Mizzou WR Luther Burden about his decline in production and some "diva" moments last season will need to be answered privately in interviews. But he is still my WR3 (behind Hunter and McMillan). Burden checked the speed box with a 4.41s 40-yard dash. The only argument that he isn't a first-rounder is mental makeup, and I'm not comfortable judging that without first-hand knowledge.

- Utah State WR Jalen Royals checked the speed box with a 4.42s 40-yard dash at 6-0, 205 pounds. Royals was a home-run hitter in college with good vertical route-running ability and is a catch-and-run threat on quick hitters. My pro comparison for Royals is Packers WR Jayden Reed, who ran a 4.45s 40-yard dash at 5-10. 187 pounds. Royals is a tick faster with a little more size. The Utah State product is an intriguing third-round option for the Patriots.

- If you were an Ole Miss WR Tre Harris fan before the combine, his 4.54 40-yard dash shouldn't change your mind. Harris wins with craftiness in his routes and using his catch radius to catch poorly thrown passes. We all knew he wasn't a burner before the combine, and Harris didn't bomb the 40-yard dash, so he checked the box for his skill set.

- TCU WR/RB Savion Willaims only ran the 40-yard dash and did an on-field workout, but Williams checked the speed box with a 4.48s 40-yard dash at 6-3, 222 pounds. Williams is a similar prospect to Cordarrelle Petterson. He's not quite as fast as Patterson, who ran a 4.42, but it's in the same ballpark, and they're similarly versatile offensive weapons.

- I'm intrigued by Colorado State WR Tory Horton Jr. as a fringe day-two guy, and his 9.40 RAS with a 4.41s 40-yard dash was plenty good enough to remain in on him. We'll see if Horton makes it to the Pats fourth-round pick at No. 105.

Stock Down

- Oregon WR Tez Johnson posted great explosiveness scores and elite agilities, but a 4.51s 40-yard dash was stunning. Johnson plays much faster than that on tape, but that's a damning time for a receiver who weighs 154 pounds. The good news for Johnson came when he posted a 6.65s three-cone time, best among WRs. Although his long speed was underwhelming, Johnson's dynamic quickness translated to the athletic testing. Still, Johnson is a risk for teams as a tiny receiver who is a slightly above-average athlete (7.66 RAS).

- The good news for Texas WR Isaiah Bond is that he posted the second-fastest max speed in the 40-yard dash at the combine at 24.17 MPH. The bad news is that he ran a 4.39s 40-yard dash when he told reporters he was aiming to break Xavier Worthy's record (4.21s). Bond's 40-time is still excellent, but he set himself up for failure with those comments.

- UNLV WR Ricky White had great college production but didn't pass the test at the combine from an athleticism standpoint. White recorded a 4.89 RAS with a 4.61s 40-yard dash. Combine testing isn't everything, but these two prospects are probably locked into day-three values now.

Did not participate in athletic testing: Tet McMillan (Arizona), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), Jack Bech (TCU), Xavier Restrepo (Miami).

Examining the Best Patriots Fits in a Loaded Running Back Class

Although the Patriots could tap into a loaded class to improve their running back depth, it seems unlikely that New England would take a running back with their first two draft picks. During an appearance with Sirius XM radio this week, HC Mike Vrabel seemed to defend Rhamondre Stevenson following a down season for the Pats lead-back.

"We can look back and say, 'Yeah, Rhamondre had some issues holding on to the football that year.' But we also didn't finish two or three blocks on the backside that allowed the second guy to come in as he's trying to make somebody miss, or he's trying to stiff-arm somebody," Vrabel said. "We also have an obligation for the rest of the guys to protect the guy who has the ball."

With the head coach's vote of confidence for Stevenson, needs in the trenches, and the depth of this class, New England can find a legit running back prospect later in the draft who can contribute so they can attack their other needs at the top of the draft. That said, here are some running backs that could fit that description who stood out on Saturday.

- The two Ohio State running backs, TreVeyon Henderson (9.45 RAS) and Quinshon Judkins (9.88 RAS) were elite testers to solidify themselves as mid-day two prospects. Judkins is a thick, explosive player in a Kareem Hunt mold, while Henderson is a bursty mover with shades of Aaron Jones in his game. Both have elite speed and explosiveness for the position and could push to be lead-backs in the NFL. It would be surprising to see Henderson or Judkins make it out of the second round.

- As the brother of Jags RB Travis Etienne, Trevor Etienne checked the necessary boxes with an 8.28 RAS after running a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. Etienne's vision and efficient rushing tracks allow him to effectively handle work between the tackles while adding value to the passing game. Etienne had a nice finish to his final season at Georgia, including a walk-off touchdown in the SEC Championship Game. He was a projected fourth-round pick before the combine, which feels right in a deep class.

- The other mid-round back that caught the eye on film and athletic testing was Kansas State's D.J. Giddens. Giddens recorded a 9.78 RAS with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash. On film, Giddens does several things well with great short-area quickness and patience, while he is one of the better backs in pass protection in this class despite being known as more of an elusive runner than a power guy. He has starter potential at the next level.

- I'm pretty shocked at how low the consensus boards are on Michigan RB Donovan Edwards. Edwards is a well-rounded back with an elite athletic profile (9.61 RAS). At 205 pounds, Edwards ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and posted the third-best vertical jump among RBs (38.5 inches). Edwards runs at a good pace and power with a lower center of gravity, while he can pass protect and stack linebackers on wheel routes. He'll be a nice addition to a team that scoops him in the fifth-round range.

- If the Patriots want a pure receiving back to fill the James White role in OC Josh McDaniels's offense, it feels like there are four primary options: Brashard Smith (fourth round), Bhayshul Tuten (fourth round), Jayden Blue (4-5 round), and Marcus Yarns (5-6 round). Smith's game stood out at the Senior Bowl due to his excellent jump-cut ability and wide receiver background. Smith's game is more Shane Vereen than James White, but his straight-line speed (4.39s 40-yard dash) and smoothness through receiving drills shined in Indy. Tuten, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash among RBs at the combine at 4.32 seconds, is also an intriguing home-run hitter who threatens to take it to the house on every touch.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer