NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

OFF SEASON CHANGES

The blockbuster trade for the Patriots this off-season was trading a first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder to Philadelphia for wide receiver AJ Brown. Drake Maye now has a true WR1 which he somewhat lacked in his breakout 2025 season. The Patriots also signed WR Romeo Doubs from Green Bay, so it’s a new look receiving corps. They also added Caleb Lomu and Gabe Jacas early in the draft to shore up the offensive line and pass rush. It was an aggressive off-season and the Patriots clearly think they can challenge for the Super Bowl once again.

QUATERBACKS

Drake Maye had a remarkable season in just his second year in the NFL, finishing second in MVP voting behind Matthew Stafford. The Patriots had the second-most passing yards per game in the NFL despite having just one receiver with 1000+ yards (Stefon Diggs). Maye put up serious numbers: 4394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 450 rushing yards and just 8 interceptions. Maye is a serious threat with his legs too and if he can improve again this season, he will cement himself as one of the best players in the league. It will be great to see how he goes with AJ Brown, who will undoubtedly expect a lot of targets. One of the Patriots’ strengths last season was their ability to spread the ball out between receivers. I’m looking forward to seeing Maye improve again this year.

RUNNING BACKS

The Patriots had the sixth-ranked rushing attack last season, with 128.9 yards per game. Rhamondre Stevenson compiled over 600 yards and he formed a nice partnership with rookie TreVeyon Henderson who had over 900 rushing yards. Henderson is the future of this backfield and although he didn’t have the full trust of Vrabel last season, he should be the main man in 2026. He showed his ceiling in a couple of games last year, with two performances of 140+ rushing yards and 2+ touchdowns. Stevenson is the bigger back and can be used on short yardage situations, but Henderson is much more explosive and also arguably a better pass-catcher. Mike Vrabel does like to run with the hot hand at times so expect to see both guys put up decent numbers this season.

RECEIVERS

The additions of AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs immediately catapult them into the number 1 and 2 options for Drake Maye. Brown has four consecutive seasons with 1000+ yards after he just cleared that mark in his final season with the Eagles. Doubs’ ability shouldn’t be taken lightly either, he had 724 yards last year and will provide a great number 2 option. The Patriots held on to most of their other receivers outside of Stefon Diggs, including Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins. All those guys popped up in games last season, combining for just over 1500 yards between them. All of a sudden this is a stacked receiving corps and Drake Maye should help them put up great numbers once again.

DEFENCE

This is a unit that doesn’t have many massive names, but they play extremely well together. The Patriots allowed the fourth-fewest points per game last season despite having just 19 takeaways all season (12th-fewest in the league). They were ranked in the top 10 in both pass and run defense, proving that it’s a well-rounded unit. Christian Gonzalez is one of the better corners in the league and is still just 24 years old. Vrabel loves a disciplined, physical defense and if they stay healthy, they’ll be a force once again this season.