FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots were the surprise of the 2025 season, riding the consistency of quarterback Drake Maye and a stingy defense to a 14-3 record in the regular season and a run to the Super Bowl following back-to-back 4-13 finishes.
It was all that coach Mike Vrabel could have asked for in his first season with the team, which established a new culture for a franchise used to playing deep into the postseason that had stumbled in the final seasons of Bill Belichick and one-year tenure of Jerod Mayo.
The focus for Year 2 and the draft will be fortifying a roster that has remained mostly intact at key positions this offseason.
The Patriots will have many opportunities to bring in some fresh faces.
New England will begin the draft with 11 total picks, including six in the first five rounds. They own the 31st pick in the first round.
After New England’s Super Bowl loss, in which it struggled to stretch the field offensively against a tough Seattle defense, finding more playmakers will be high on the list. And wide receiver will again be in the spotlight following the decision to release Stefon Diggs.
With speculation about A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia, it has put the Patriots in the spotlight as a potential trade partner. It hasn’t happened yet.
Vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf has been coy on the subject during an offseason that has seen the Patriots fairly quiet thus far.
“We’ll explore anything that we think can help the team,” Wolf said. “I wouldn’t say that there’s a deadline. I’m trying to improve the team.”
Need
The top priority will be at edge rusher. The Patriots added Dre’Mont Jones in free agency following a season in which he started with the Tennessee Titans before being traded to Baltimore Ravens. But his career-high production of seven sacks that he matched last season is only comparable to K’Lavon Chaisson, who signed with Washington. So look for the Patriots to possibly use their first-round pick there.
New England could also use some more talent at linebacker after parting ways Jahlani Tavai and Anfernee Jennings.
Don’t need
Running back, cornerback.
What about the offense?
Even if they don’t pursue Brown, finding a go-to receiver for Maye needs to happen. Diggs was the team’s top receiver last season, pulling in 85 receptions.
Other needs include some depth at left tackle behind Will Campbell. He had an up and down rookie season that included a knee injury. Depth is also needed at right tackle with Morgan Moses entering his 13th season.
Third quarterback
The Patriots carried three quarterbacks last season with Josh Dobbs backing up Maye and former Giants fan favorite Tommy DeVito running the scout team after being signed off waivers.
The team signed a two-year extension worth up to $7.4 million with DeVito in March, followed by the release of Dobbs. It’s moved the 27-year-old DeVito into the No. 2 spot, though he hasn’t thrown an NFL pass since 2024.
Whether the team decides to bring in a more experienced veteran to back up Maye is unclear, but they have plenty of picks to being in someone to develop as well.
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