New England Patriots (Last Year: 4-13)
2025 NFL Season Preview:
Veteran Additions:
QB Joshua Dobbs, WR Stefon Diggs, WR Mack Hollins, OT Morgan Moses, G Wes Schweitzer, C Garrett Bradbury, DT Milton Williams, DT Khyiris Tonga, OLB Harold Landry, OLB K’Lavon Chaisson, LB Robert Spillane, LB Jack Gibbens, CB Carlton Davis, S Marcus Epps.
Early Draft Picks:
OT Will Campbell, RB TreyVeon Henderson, WR Kyle Williams, C Jared Wilson, DT Joshua Farmer, CB Craig Woodson. Patriots Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
QB Jacoby Brissett, C David Andrews, DE Deatrich Wise, LB Sione Takitaki, CB Jonathan Jones, K Joey Slye.
2025 New England Patriots Offense:
Patriot fans had to wait several weeks for Drake Maye to take over for Jacoby Brissett. When it finally happened, they saw a talented, but raw quarterback who made plenty of mistakes. Maye, however, also showed signs of brilliance. As with Josh Allen from 2018 to 2019, a big leap is expected from Maye this year.
It’ll help, of course, that the Patriots added some pieces around Maye to ensure his success. The greatest acquisition was the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Will Campbell. The LSU blocker was knocked for his short arms, but showcased elite athleticim seen from only Trent Williams and Tristan Wirfs in the past. Even if he’s not as good as his draft slot indicates he will be, he’ll still be an upgrade over the abysmal blocking New England had on the blind side last year. However, because the Patriots had so many holes this offseason, they couldn’t plug the void at right tackle, which is currently occupied by the aging Morgan Moses. The former Jet was signed in free agency, but at 34, he’s not the player he once was.
Only one new addition was made to the interior, which was not enough, especially when it was Garrett Bradbury. Formerly of the Vikings, Bradbury struggled for all but one season in Minnesota, so he won’t be much of a replacement for the retired David Andrews. He’ll be flanked by Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu. The latter was the team’s best blocker last year, though that’s not saying much. Strange, meanwhile, barely, played in 2024. He was on the field for just two games because of injury. It’s not like he was missed though, given that he’s not a very good player.
New England had to address its receiving corps as well, with Demario Douglas being the only viable player at the position last year. Douglas will return as the slot receiver, but the Patriots have a new No. 1 receiver on the outside, at least in theory. That would be Stefon Diggs, who played with Houston last season. Diggs, however, is an older player coming off a torn ACL, and it sounds like he may not be able to make his debut until October. Given his age and injury status, he may not make much of an impact with the Patriots, especially considering that he could be suspended as a result of his maritime adventures. New England also added Mack “Fred Flintstone” Hollins, who is a mediocre receiver at best. A third-round selection was used on Kyle Williams, who could emerge as the No. 1 outside receiver. Hunter Henry, meanwhile, will reprise his role as a reliable tight end.
Another early draft pick was used on a running back. That would be TreyVeon Henderson, a dynamic back who can play all three downs. Rhamondre Stevenson has been solid at times for the Patriots, but New England had room for improvement at the position, so Henderson could take over for him at some point.
2025 New England Patriots Defense:
The Patriots were better defensively than offensively last year, though only by default. They were 31st in points and yardage scored, and 22nd in points and yards allowed. Despite the defense being the superior unit, the Patriots did a lot of work to repair this side of the ball.
New England spent the most money signing Milton Williams, giving him a contract slightly north of $100 million. Williams hasn’t had the production to warrant such a contract, but he was part of a very talented rotation in Philadelphia and possesses tremendous upside. He could thrive in his larger role and be a much-needed upgrade on the front. He’s expected to start with Christian Barmore and Khryiri Tonga. Barmore is a talented lineman, but has missed 20 games over the past three years. Tonga was a middling backup for Arizona, so the Patriots will be hoping that fourth-round rookie Joshua Farmer can unseat him.
The Patriots also gave an edge rusher a big contract. That would be Harold Landry, who was a very productive pass rusher for the Titans. Not only is Landry an upgrade; he’s someone familiar with Mike Vrabel’s defense, so he’ll make a natural transition to his new team. He’ll help a squad whose pressure rate was fourth-worst in the NFL, and he’ll certainly be able to top the team lead in sacks, which was five last year. One of the two players who logged five sacks, Keion White, is a young edge rusher who will greatly benefit from Landry’s presence. There’s also Anfernee Jennings, a Jack of all trades and master of none.
The Patriots spent big money on every position, save for safety. They gave Carlton Davis a healthy contract to make sure that they would have someone who could provide great coverage on both sides of the field. Whether this works remains to be seen because Davis has been highly inconsistent throughout his career. Davis thrived last year, but did so under Aaron Glenn’s tutelage. It’s unclear if he’ll regress without Glenn. Regardless, Christian Gonzalez will continue to dominate opposing receivers on the other side of the field. There’s also Marcus Jones, who plays well in the slot.
Safety, meanwhile, wasn’t really addressed even though it needed to be. Kyle Dugger is coming off an awful season, while the other starter, Jabrill Peppers, played just six games. Peppers has been excellent over the past two seasons, but he has an extensive injury history. Marcus Epps was signed, but he’s just a decent backup.
At linebacker, the Patriots made another key acquisition by signing Robert Spillane. The former Raider thrived in Las Vegas under Antonio Pierce, so perhaps he’ll be able to continue his great play with his new team. If he does, the Patriots will have a formidable duo of linebackers with Spillane playing alongside Christian Elliss.
2025 New England Patriots Schedule and Intangibles:
Since 2003, the Patriots are 145-44 at home. However, the magic is gone now that Tom Brady is no longer on the roster. New England is 3-13 as a host over the past two years.
The Patriots have had kicking woes over the past two years. They decided to use a sixth-round pick on Andy Borregales to provide a solution.
Another sixth-round pick, Bryce Baringer, was obtained in 2023. He was 19th in net punting last year, though he was able to pin the opposition inside the 20 consistently.
The Patriots have a very easy schedule. Six of their first eight opponents are the Raiders, Dolphins, Panthers, Saints, Titans, and Browns.
2025 New England Patriots Rookies:
Go here for the Patriots Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.
2025 New England Patriots Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
Quarterbacks |
 |
Offensive Line |
|
Secondary |
|
Running Backs |
|
Defensive Line |
|
Special Teams |
|
Receivers |
|
Linebackers |
|
Coaching |
|
Projection: 8-9 (2nd in AFC East)
2024 Projection: 3-14. 2024 Actual Result: 4-13.
2023 Projection: 5-12. 2023 Actual Result: 4-13.
2022 Projection: 10-7. 2022 Actual Result: 8-9.
2021 Projection: 8-9. 2021 Actual Result: 10-7.
2020 Projection: 11-5. 2020 Actual Result: 7-9.
2019 Projection: 11-5. 2019 Actual Result: 12-4.
2018 Projection: 14-2. 2018 Actual Result: 11-5.
2017 Projection: 14-2. 2017 Actual Result: 13-3.
2016 Projection: 12-4. 2016 Actual Result: 14-2.
NFL Draft Team Grade: A Grade
Goals Entering the 2025 NFL Draft: The Patriots must focus all of their energy addressing the offense. Drake Maye showed potential as a rookie, but he was surrounded with miserable talent. New England needs multiple offensive line upgrades, a No. 1 receiver, and a backfield partner for Rhamondre Stevenson.
2025 NFL Draft Accomplishments: The Patriots were lauded for their draft class by the media. While the talking heads on TV are often wrong, it seems as though this is an exception.
The first thing I looked at when dissecting New England’s overall class was how many picks were used to help Drake Maye. The Patriots correctly realized that they needed to help Maye, with their first four selections used on the supporting cast. Two offensive linemen, a receiver, and a running back were obtained, and every pick scored a B+ or higher.
The Patriots reversed their strategy after that, focusing on their poor defense. Most of their picks were good, save for the Craig Woodson selection at No. 106. Woodson was considered a UDFA prospect, so drafting him atop Round 4 was bizarre. Still, that was the only poor selection the Patriots made, so they can be forgiven for that.
NFL Draft Individual Grades:
4. Will Campbell, OT/G, LSU – A+ Grade
The Patriots could have been scared off by Will Campbell’s short arms, but I think this would have been a huge mistake. Plenty of offensive linemen with short arms have thrived over the years. Campbell has elite tape and athleticism. In fact, prior to the 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Combine, only two offensive linemen recorded his level of athleticism: Trent Williams and Tristan Wirfs. That’s pretty great company! The Patriots obviously made the correct pick here to find much-needed protection for Drake Maye.
38. TreVeyeon Henderson, RB, Ohio State – A Grade
I’m not a big fan of Rhamondre Stevenson, so I’m all for the Patriots attempting to either upgrade him or complement him. TreVeyon Henderson should be a better pro, and he’s one of the best players available. He can play all three downs for New England, which Stevenson can’t really do that well. Henderson easily could have gone in the first round.
69. Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State – B+ Grade
This is an obvious need. The Patriots have nothing at receiver, and that includes Stefon Diggs, who is coming off a torn ACL. Kyle Williams is a third-round prospect who could have easily gone late in the second, so I like this pick for New England.
95. Jared Wilson, C, Georgia – A+ Grade
We go from one of the dumbest picks of all time to an A+ selection. Jared Wilson is a great choice. The Patriots needed to add three offensive linemen in this class, including a center, and Jared Wilson is highly athletic with lots of upside.
106. Craig Woodson, S, California – MILLEN Grade
This reminds me of when Bill Belichick would just quit on the draft on Day 3 and select players who were going to be UDFAs. What is this pick? Craig Woodson had UDFA written all over him. Maybe seventh round at best. This is a terrible pick. The Patriots could have taken better players who could have filled needs.
137. Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State – A+ Grade
I can see why the Patriots traded up for Joshua Farmer. I thought there was a chance he could sneak into the second round, so this is a huge steal. Famer can play well as both a run stuffer and a pass rusher, and the Patriots needed help in both regards.
146. Bradyn Swinson, DE, LSU – A+ Grade
The Browns aren’t the only team getting great value in Round 5. Bradyn Swinson is someone I’ve had going on Day 2 in most of my updates. He’s a talented edge rusher with a good combination of speed and strength. The Patriots needed another edge rusher, so I love this pick.
182. Andres Borregales, K, Miami – B Grades
The first kicker or punter is off the board. Bravo to NFL teams for waiting until the sixth round. Andres Borregales was 18-of-19 last year, including 7-of-8 from 40-plus.
220. Marcus Bryant, OT, Missouri – B Grade
Marcus Bryant is a lengthy tackle with some upside. He has a ton of starting experience in school, too. Adding more protection for Drake Maye isn’t a bad idea.
251. Julian Ashby, LS, Vanderbilt – B+ Grade
Julian Ashby was the only long snapper I expected to be drafted. Julian Ashby could have gone earlier than this, so this is a rare event in which there’s some value with a long snapper.
257. Kobee Minor, CB, Memphis – C Grade
The Patriots traded into this pick to draft a cornerback. I know people were anticipated for Cobee Bryant to be drafted. Instead, New England picked Kobee Minor. I didn’t have Minor being drafted, so perhaps the Patriots should have gone with Bryant instead.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
2026 NFL Mock Draft - June 10
NFL Power Rankings - May 16
NFL Picks - Feb. 9
