2025 NFL Season Preview- New England Patriots

After 24 years of stability under Bill Belichick, two straight four win seasons have the New England Patriots are back in rebuild mode.

After winning on opening day, the Pats lost six straight games for the first time in 31 years. It was also the first time since the 1999 and 2000 seasons that New England finished last in the AFC East in consecutive seasons.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was the opening day starter but was benched after five games. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson started the year as a high carry back but slowed down after a month and fumbled seven times, the most by a non quarterback last year. Antonio Gibson played well in his first season with the Patriots, averaging 45 yards per carry. Tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper combined for 111 catches. 40 of Hooper's 66 receptions went for a first down and Henry had career highs in catches and yards. Wide receivers K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton were starters, but got waived midseason. DeMario Douglas was second on the team in receiving and Kayshon Boutte had a much improved year. After center David Andrews went down in Week 4, the offensive line fell apart. Mike Onwenu moved inside from tackle to guard and had a solid season. Neither of the tackles were able to sustain success.

After Lawrence Guy left in free agency and Christian Barmore was sidelined due to a blood clot, Davon Godchaux had a down year but still finished fifth on the team in tackles. Keion White finished with 16 QB pressures and five sacks. Linebacker Jahlani Tavai led the team in tackles while still putting in snaps on special teams, but got on the ownership's bad side when he started fighting with fans. Anfernee Jennings stood out in three of New England's wins, but spent time on IR with a torn pectoral. Sione Takitaki signed in the offseason but got a slow start due to injuries. Safety Kyle Duggar struggled in the first year of a new deal.

Punter Bryce Baringer kept busy averaging 41.7 yards per punt. Kicker Joey Slye made 26 of 33 field goals but struggled from over 40-yards. Return man Marcus Jones was sixth in the league in yards per punt return before ending the season on injured reserve with a bad hip.

The down year produced just two pro bowlers and All-Pro's for New England. Including special teamer Brenden Schooler and cornerback Christian Gonzalez. After the retirement of Matthew Slater, Schooler finished with 13 tackles and two sacks. Gonzalez can run with most receivers and finished with two interceptions and played close to 1,000 snaps after missing most of his rookie year.

The rookie classes hinges on the success of their young signal caller. Quarterback Drake Maye struggled with 16 turnover and was sacked 34 times in 13 games, but he should enough to coaches that he is the future face of the franchise and was even a Pro Bowl alternate. Wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk never looked comfortable in the offense, finishing with just 12 catches and two scores. Tackle Caedan Wallace played in just three games before and ankle injury ended his year. Layden Robinson showed he could play both guard spots well. Wide receiver Javon Parker had just one catch all year. Cornerback Marcus Dial Jr. could push into a starting role next year. Quarterback Joe Milton III shined in preseason and started the season finale, going 22 for 29 for 241 yards and a score: though he lacks the footwork or nuance to be a fulltime starter. Tight end Jaheim Bell is undersized, but could feel the void of an H-back or fullback.

After a second consecutive 4-13 season, The Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo after just one year. Many feel it was New England winning the season finale against Buffalo that cemented his firing, as the win eliminated their chance of obtaining the first overall pick in the draft.

On January 12th, the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel to be the 16th head coach in team history. Vrabel is a former linebacker who played eight seasons for New England, helping them win three Super Bowls. He also spent six seasons as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, where he posted a 54-45 record, including going 2-3 in the postseason and was named the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year.

A new head coach means a new coaching staff. The team brought back Josh McDaniels for his third stint as offensive coordinator. The Pats also hired former Detroit Lions defensive line coach and run game coordinator to be the new DC.

Notable Additions: QB Joshua Dobbs, WR Stefon Diggs, WR Mack Hollins, C Garrett Bradbury, LB K'Lavon Chaisson, LB Harold Landry

Notable Departures:QB Jacoby Brissett, QB Joe Milton III, DE Deatrich Wise Jr., DE Davon Godchaux, DT Daniel Ekuale, CB Jonathan Jones, K Joey Slye

Holding the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, New England has several positions to address in order to return to playoff form. Including wide receiver, offensive tackle, and edge rusher.

Teams know what Stefon Diggs is at this stage of his career and he turns 32 this season. Mack Hollins is a better second or third option and DeMario Douglas is perfect for the slot. The corps needs more depth and someone that can develop into a true number one after Diggs.

The play at tackle was a glaring weakness for the offensive line. Caedan Wallace could be the answer on the right, but the team needs to protect Drake Maye's blindside.

New England finished last in the league last year with just 28 sacks. Harold Landry helps, but K'Lavon Chaisson is a first round bust. Getting more bodies to get after opposing quarterbacks must be a priority.

On draft day, The Patriots ended up selecting LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick. Campbell is technically sound and know what to do downfield, but lacks ideal arm length for the position.

Other Notable Draft Picks:

TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State- Easy accelerator, struggles to break tackles

Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State- Dynamic with the ball, poor catch technique

Jared Wilson, C, Georgia- Rare athlete, just one year as a starter

Craig Woodson, S, California- Fluid feet & hips, 24-year-old rookie

Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State- Explosive off the line- gets stuck in traffic

Bradyn Swinson, DE, LSU- fast athlete, smaller frame

Andres Borregales, K, Miami- Comes through in the clutch, accuracy shaky from 40-49 yards

Marcus Bryant, OT, Missouri- Mammoth size, slow mover

Julian Ashby, LS, Vanderbilt- Adequate velocity, slightly undersized

Kobee Minor, CB, Memphis- Physical for his size, zero picks in five years

The Patriots added pieces to get them back to their Belichick era glory and they should make a huge jump forward.

The play Drake Maye will make or break this team. He has the tools to be a franchise quarterback, the team just has to protect him. Rhomandre Stevenson can get out of the doghouse, he could work well with TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson in the backfield. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper showed they worked well as a duo last year and they should be Maye's security blankets in 2025. Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins are vast improvements to their starting wideouts last year, we'll just have to see how they mesh together. Between the draft and free agency, New England added more bodies to the offensive line to boost depth and hopefully keep Maye upright.

I'm not quite sure the defensive line has improved based on last season. It will depend if Christian Barmore can return to his 2023 form. The linebackers now have Harold Landry which gives them a solid edge rusher. The key will be seeing if he can demand extra attention and if anyone else can get after the quarterback. The secondary has a star in Christian Gonzalez, but Kyle Duggar has to improve on his subpar 2024 campaign.

I don't think the Pats have done enough to dethrone the Bills enough in the AFC East, but they will be competitive and could pass the Dolphins for second place in the division while having an outside shot at a wildcard spot.

Best Record They Can Hope For: 9-8