Bill Belichick and six members of his Patriots staff worked out WR Kelvin Benjamin at the Florida State campus last Friday.
NFL Media analyst Gil Brandt reported the news.
The Patriots are famously tight-lipped about what prospects they regard highly enough to invite to a private workout, so it's especially intriguing when word like this gets out.
Now, a private workout alone doesn't guarantee Benjamin is a target for New England, but the team does have a need at the position and Benjamin could still be on the board when it's time for the them to pick with the 29th overall selection. Plus, the presence of Belichick counts for something -- he doesn't strike us as a guy who would waste his time on a player that didn't intrigue him.
Benjamin was very impressive at his pro-day workout last week and has rare size at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds. He'll be a mismatch nightmare for defensive coordinators at the next level and the general consensus is he has the potential to develop into a No. 1 wide receiver.
The Patriots have already re-signed their leading receiver from last season, Julian Edelman, and added former Panthers receiver Brandon LaFell in free agency. Throw Benjamin into the mix, and perhaps even a healthy Rob Gronkowski -- Tom Brady could have a very nice array of targets heading into the 2014 season.