ESPN's Mike Reiss views Patterson as a roster lock "because of his value as a kickoff returner and gunner."
At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Patterson adds size to the Patriots' wideout corps, but how much of a role he ends up carving out in the offense has yet to be determined. The 2013 first-rounder is off the fantasy radar for now, but beyond the fact that Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan top the team's depth chart, not much is set. Patterson will thus contend for slotting with the likes of Jordan Matthews, Malcolm Mitchell (knee), Phillip Dorsett, Kenny Britt and Braxton Berrios.