Offense 

The level at which this Patriots team improved this offseason in quite literally every department cannot be understated. From the HC switch to Mike Vrabel and the staff he brought along with him (Josh McDaniels, OC and Terrell Williams, DC) to the starters on the roster and even more so the depth they’ve brought in they’re simply better in every way compared to last year. 

Where this offense really starts is with the improvements they’ve made at WR and RB, the weaponry here is almost if not completely incomparable to last year. Adding Stefon Diggs was a fantastic move (aside from some off the field distractions) and while he may not be the true number one he once was is still an excellent WR and will be a great help to the development of Drake Maye with his ability to read defenses and adjust and be QB friendly because of it. You add in a great locker room guy that also will have an impact on the field as an outside WR in Mack Hollins along with the rookie they drafted, Kyle Williams (Washington State), who I absolutely adore and think will be a starter at any WR alignment they want him to, and you all the sudden have a intriguing WR room that has a real chance to be special. While I love the additions they made let’s not forget they also have Demario (Pop) Douglas as a slot/off the ball WR that is super dynamic, Kendrick Bourne a solid veteran, and some young guys who didn’t pop their rookie year but are still guys I think that can be successful in Javon Baker and even more so Ja’Lynn Polk who just didn’t look like himself last year. On a side note… keep an eye on the UDFA Efton Chism III (Eastern Washington), it’s currently a pretty deep WR room but I wouldn’t be surprised if he made the 53 man roster this year. 

Now while the additions aren’t as long of a list for RB they added someone who I think will have just as much of an impact in TreVeyon Henderson (OSU). Henderson is truly dynamic back with real game changing speed and burst along with an attitude that not only shows up when the ball is in his hands but also when he’s pass blocking, which set him apart in this draft class. Henderson is an instant impact player that will be another huge piece to help Drake Maye succeed moving forward because of that special burst and speed to make short plays into explosives, elite pass protection from a back, he doesn’t fumble the ball, and from all accounts a high character guy that will help set a demeanor and culture not only in the RB room or offense but the entire team. Along with Henderson in this room is Rhamondre Stevenson who certainly has some issues as a back (mainly fumbling, especially last year) but absolutely has the talent to still have a big role on this team moving forward. While Henderson may eat into his snaps and eventually, if not right away, take the lead back role Stevenson will absolutely play a role in this offense as early down back, think Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren last year for the Steelers. 

Now onto possibly the most important position group for this team not only this year but overallmoving forward, the OL. Whether you like/agree with the Will Campbell (LSU) at 4th overall it’s pretty obvious that he’s going to be a better LT than anyone they’ve put out there since… Nate Solder? It’s been quite awhile since they’ve went into a season and had a real solid LT and well that’s simply just not a way to succeed in this league. My favorite part about Campbell and what he’s going to bring to this team is his attitude. The guy clearly wants to be great and more than anything else protect his QB and when you have the tape he had (not phenomenal but really solid, in my opinion) with a mentality like his I would bet on him working out. What I love most about what they did this offseason in this room is bring in Morgan Moses at RT. While Moses has really struggled with injuries throughout the years he’s also been one of the leagues most consistent players at his respective position and to make it even better.. a want and desire to be a leader as well which can’t be understated when you bring in two rookies who may start this year (Will Campbell obviously will and Jared Wilson (Georgia) has a real chance to). While the IOL group isn’t necessarily flashy I think they’ll get a solid group out of Cole Strange, Mike Onwenu, Garrett Bradbury, Jared Wilson, and Sidy Sow. I think Onwenu will secure the RG spot and Strange will most likely take the LG spot then it really just comes down to C and if Jared Wilson can impress enough in camp to beat out the vet Bradbury, which I personally think very well might happen. 

As far as the QB room goes it’s pretty simple. The addition of Josh Dobbs is solid, giving you a vet QB that can provide insight and help for Drake Maye along the way. As for Drake Maye.. you just want to see another step from him. Whether that’s being quicker and more decisive through his reads, taking care of the ball more, or anything else that stands out on film. He has a real team around him this year so while it’s far from a make or break year for the second year QByou’d still like to see him rise to the occasion and keep this team more competitive week in week out than it was last season. 

Defense 

This defense really has a chance to be special in my opinion and that all starts upfront with the additions they made paired with the guys they had in place here already. Adding Milton Williams to this front could be very dangerous for opposing offenses. The rise of Keion White was one of the few positives for this team last year season, he truly became a game to game problem in both the pass and run game for opposing offenses and when you think about getting Christian Barmore back from injury (blood clots) along with adding Milton Williams to this front you not only add guys that will have huge impacts on games but also it allows you so much more flexibility. You can really line these guys up wherever you want along the front of your defense and because of their talent and experience playing along different alignments they can mix and match them wherever they want, making it incredibly hard to game plan for. You pair those guys with Anfernee Jennings (a big body edge that is awesome verse the run) and now Harold Landry III (had a down year or two due to injuries but still has some pop as a edge rusher on passing downs) you have pretty unique starting front seven. Then we go to the inside of this team and the additions they made at LB in Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens and you have a room full of guys (Spillane, Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai, and Christian Ellis) that have some real edge and attitude and can all play for you not only at ILB but in multiple spots. 

• A side note for the EDGE group is Bradyn Swinson. Apparently there were some concerns from his time at Oregon and LSU with not getting along with coaches and causing some issues with said coaches. I loved this guy coming out of the draft and thought he could be a top 50 to 75 pick at the latest and he fell all the way to 146 because of the concerns. I can’t speak to him as a person one bit as I have not met him but it’s something that’s on my radar and if there’s any spot that can get the best out of him it would be here with Vrabel. Very well could be a steal of the draft.. it really just depends on his mentality and willingness to be a great football player.

This secondary is one of my favorite set of position groups in the entire league. There’s so much flexibility in the S room with Jabrill Peppers, Kyle Dugger, Marcus Epps, Marte Mapu, and the new draft pick Craig Woodson (Cal) you can play anyone of these guys at multiple positions, the only one who may be a little locked is your vet depth piece in Marcus Epps. Woodson played both sides of the field at S and even had a number of snaps at nickel CB for Cal and played solid at every single spot he played (preferred him as an in the box S though), Dugger can play that in the box S position and even dime LB for you, and Peppers can play quite literally everywhere for you. You pair that flexibility and talent at S with one of the best CBs in the league in Christian Gonzalez who has a really solid vet CB opposite of him now in Carlton Davis III (coming off a fractured jaw) and you could have a really special secondary. The only part I’m hesitant about is the depth at CB especially. I like a couple guys they have on roster but nothing that I really trust and if Marcus Jones, Gonzalez, or Davis go down you could be starting a guy that I’m not sure you can trust week to week.

Overview 

• I’m trying not to get ahead of myself but considering this was, like many others, my favorite draft from any team this offseason and I absolutely loved nearly every move they did I just can’t help but say I think this is the second best team in this division. As I personally see it the Dolphins will have a down year and more than likely be headed towards a rebuild. The Jets are less talented than this team in my opinion and to add on to that  I trust this coaching staff more because of the experience. I personally think the Patriots will have a really solid season floating around 8-10 wins and be a team that if they get right you don’t want to see. Now to be fair I’m counting on a number of young’s exceeding or at least matching expectations and most importantly Drake Maye continuing to ascend like I thought he was towards the end of last year. I’m not saying they’ll compete for this division with the Bills quite yet but I don’t know by the end of the year that we’ll view them that far off either. There’s still quite a few unknowns and new faces so there’s a lot of projection when it comes to this team but they’re certainly headed in a positive direction and I wouldn’t bet against Vrabel to get this team right sooner than anyone else thought.