The Patriots have traded for Miami receiver DeVante Parker, who has burned them in the past, according to reports Saturday. (AP photo)

The New England Patriots went out Saturday and picked up a player to bolster their wide receiver group.

From an AFC East rival, surprisingly.

The Patriots yesterday reportedly traded two 2023 draft picks – a third rounder and a fifth rounder – to Miami for veteran receiver DeVante Parker and a fifth round pick in this year’s draft.

Can he be a number one receiver for the Patriots? That’s debatable. Parker, a 2015 first round pick by Miami, played like that only in one season, in 2019 when he caught 72 ball for 1,202 yards and nine TDs. Last year, bothered by a hamstring injury, he played in 10 games, catching 40 passes for 515 yards and two TDs. He’s played in every game in a season just once.

For his career, Parker has 338 catches for 4,727 yards and 24 TDs.

However, Patriot fans may remember the 2019 regular season finale, when the Dolphins beat the Patriots to send them into the Wild Card round. Parker had eight catches for 137 yards in that game, and in his last four games vs. New England, Parker has averaged 4.5 catches for 69.25 yards. In 12 career games vs. the Pats, he has 42 catches for 597 yards and one TD. He has a league high 57 contested catches since 2019.

Why was he expendable? Because the Dolphins just this past week picked up star receiver Tyreek Hill in a trade, also reneogiated cornerback Xavien Howard’s contract making him the highest paid cornerback in the league. IN trading a player who was going to be their third receiver, they rid themselves of Parker’s $9 million cap hit. But it is curious as to why Miami is trading him to New England; the Dolphins evidently felt that was the best offer and took it.

But Parker may be the most talented of the group on the Patriots, which now includes Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, N’Keal Harry,Ty Montgomery, Kristian Wilkerson, Malcolm Perry and Tre Nixon. Parker, at 6-foot-3, 219 pounds, is the type of receiver the Patriots were hoping fellow former first round pick Harry would become: someone to battle and come down with the ball in the end zone. It’s likely Harry will either be dealt away or eventually cut.

The trade bolsters the Patriots draft a bit, as they eight picks, four each in the first four, plus the two fifths and two sixths. They may make up for the loss of that third rounder next year with a compensatory pick for losing free agents, likely tied to the J.C. Jackson loss.

Parker is under contract for two more seasons at an average of $5.5 million.

Either way, the Patriots have a receiver who has burned them in the past. They just hope he doesn’t do it while wearing a Patriots uniform, as other receivers they’ve either drafted or traded for have in the past.