Tre NIxon Had A Standout Spring But With A Spotlight Comes Great Expectations.

A few weeks ago I wrote that Jack Jones would be the most impactful rookie of the 2022 class. I also wrote that the receivers and corners still had questions to answer. After the spring camp session, there is another player to keep an eye on. It's not a rookie but a practice squad guy who had a solid spring. That guy is known as the Ernie Adams pick. I'm talking about Tre Nixon.

Nixon stands around 6'1" and reportedly weights around 185 pounds. Nixon started at Ole Miss as a four star recruit but transfered to UFC for playing time. In the FBS Nixon caught 109 of 126 targets for 1,671 yards with 35 first downs and 13 touchdowns. In 2018 UFC also had Nixon field one kickoff return. In the 2021 preseason, Nixon only managed 2 catches for 11 yards.

Nixon suffered a shoulder or collarbone injury his final season which likely caused his draft stock to fall. He is a stretch receiver who should excell as a deep slot although he can play the outside as well as the X. He runs in the 4.40s and had a decent 6.81 three cone. He had the talent entering the NFL to become a depth piece, nobody argued that but the concensus was he needed development and a vertical spread offense.

Evan Lazar wrote in May of 2001, "There’s enough explosiveness in Nixon’s movements to suggest that he can separate at the NFL level, but he’ll need to finish the play more consistently to stick around."

Nixon made several plays during the 2022 minicamp sessions, including two fifty yard catches beating Jonathan Jones. And there has been a big deal made about the appearent chemistry with franchise quarterback Mac Jones.

Nixon said, "“I feel like the biggest thing is this be where my feet are at. I know training camp’s around the corner, and I like to just stay present in the moment, just try and make my own role what I can do. It’s easy to, especially in this league, compare yourself to other people or count numbers. One of the biggest things the older guys tell me is to be your own person. Try and make your own role and see what you can do beyond that.”

Nixon has put a spotlight on himself but with that spotlight is going to come a lot of pressure when the Patriots meet up later this summer. We have seen players excel without the pads before. Almost everyone fell for Maurice Harris who had a lights out spring few years back before falling off in the preseason. Nixon will have to show he's not just a spring star but a true NFL receiver.

One quick mention. Nixon’s teammate Jack Jones whom I predicted to be the most impactful rookie, showed up this spring and gave enough effort to put his name in the mix for one of the two starting outside corners. He will need to step up his game as he will have competition but so far he has lived up to expectation. If the Patriots have found their outside guy, they are better off defensively then orginally expected and that could translate into wins. Just another name to watch when the team meets up in a few weeks.