---

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third part of a nine-part series previewing the 73rd annual National Football League draft of college players. Today, wide receivers are previewed.

FOXBORO - Randy Moss? Check.

Wes Welker? Check.

Jabar Gaffney, Chad Jackson, Kelley Washington and Sam Aiken? Checks all around.

From all indications, the Patriots' record-shattering wide receiving corps is still in very good shape entering the 2008 NFL Draft, which begins Saturday. Moss' ability to stretch the field like none other, Welker's brilliance in the slot and Gaffney's money-in-the-bank reliability in big games are all still intact as the annual restocking approaches, which makes it highly unlikely that the Patriots will have any interest at all in any of the top receivers in a junior-heavy draft class.

Of course, there are still some question marks about the personnel on hand, even about the most accomplished among them.

Moss had one of the best seasons of his decade-long career last year, catching 98 passes for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns and breaking Jerry Rice's long-standing TD-catch record. But defenses seemed to catch up to him a little by the end of the season, and he isn't getting any younger.

Because he caught a team-record 112 passes for 1,175 yards, Welker is also likely to see more defensive attention next year. Gaffney is still little more than a journeyman on a one-year contract, Washington and Aiken (an ex-Bill signed as a free agent) are primarily special-teamers, and this will be a make-or-break training camp for Jackson, the 2006 second-round pick out of Florida who hasn't been able to stay healthy.

But with only three picks in the top 70 and a huge gap between No. 1 (seventh overall) and No. 2 (62nd), and with other more pressing needs to be addressed with their third (69th) and fourth (94th) picks, the Patriots will probably not be predisposed to pick a receiver until after the fourth round, if at all.

Most of the top receivers in this year's draft, according to Pro Football Weekly and the Ourlads scouting service, are clustered around where the Patriots might have picked if not for the loss of the No. 31 pick to the "Spygate" scandal.

Michigan State's Devin Thomas (6-2, 216; 4.43 in the 40-yard dash) is the best of the lot, projected to go around the 20th pick. Oklahoma's Malcolm Kelly (6-3½, 225; 4.5) and California's Desean Jackson (5-9½, 169; 4.4) are right behind, despite being on opposite ends of the size and speed scales.

Right around the end of the first round, you'll find Texas' Limas Sweed (6-3¾, 215; 4.58), Indiana's James Hardy (6-5¼, 217; 4.53) and Michigan's Mario Manningham (5-11½, 181; 4.45) going in quick succession, with Florida's Andre Caldwell (6-0, 204; 4.39) not far behind.

LSU's Early Doucet (6-0, 211; 4.56) and Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal (5-9½, 184; 4.46) might be available around the Patriots' second selection, and Kansas State's Jordy Nelson (6-2½, 217; 4.55), Virginia Tech's Josh Morgan (6-0, 219; 4.46) and Houston's Donnie Avery (5-11, 192; 4.48) should be on the board at the No. 69 selection. Missouri's William Franklin (6-0½, 214; 4.38) might be intriguing around the No. 94 selection because of his size, speed and durability.

Potential picks in the fourth round would be Appalachian State's Dexter Jackson, Kentucky's Keenan Burton, Virginia Tech's Justin Harper, and Oklahoma State's Adarius Bowman. The latter two might be particularly intriguing because both are over 6-foot-3, have reasonably good speed and appear to be fundamentally strong. There's a lot of late-round depth in this draft, which could also come into play when the Patriots check in at the 165th, 199th and 240th positions.

Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett, Wisconsin's Paul Hubbard, West Virginia's Darius Reynaud, Purdue's Dorien Bryant, Michigan's Adrian Arrington and Louisville's Harry Douglas will all be valuable in the fifth and sixth rounds, and Coastal Carolina's Jerome Simpson (6-1½, 199, 4.5) may be the small-school sleeper the Patriots might want to consider at the end of the fifth.

Another possibility late in the draft would be Kentucky's Steve Johnson (6-1¾, 210; 4.6), who became the Wildcats' go-to receiver after only playing two years in high school and starting for just one in college.

From New England colleges, expect Brown's Paul Raymond (5-9, 174; 4.38) to warrant a look or two because of his speed. Boston College's Kevin Challenger and Connecticut's Larry Taylor may wind up in someone's training camp as free agents.

MONDAY: Running backs.