The New England Patriots had a big offseason, drafting Will Campbell with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to help build around young quarterback Drake Maye.
The Patriots also signed some key free agents, including wide receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive tackle Milton Williams, linebacker Harold Landry III, cornerback Carlton Davis III and offensive tackle Morgan Moses.
Those moves should help the Patriots get back in the mix for a playoff spot in the AFC, and one NFL scout believes that they are the biggest threat to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
“This is the best offseason they’ve had in a while,” one scout said. “I feel like they’re the Bills’ biggest threat.”
Buffalo has won the AFC East division in each of the last five seasons, as quarterback Josh Allen has ascended into one of the NFL’s best players.
However, it appears that Maye and the Patriots may not be that far off. New England used to run the AFC East during Tom Brady’s tenure with the team, but things have been rough in recent seasons.
The Patriots have finished in last place in the AFC East in back-to-back seasons, and they haven’t finished over .500 since the 2021 campaign. New England was just 4-13 last season, and it fired head coach Jerod Mayo after one season at the helm.
Now, the Patriots are transitioning into a new era with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel leading the charge. Vrabel, who played for the Patriots during his NFL career, will aim to bring New England back to the forefront of the NFL in the coming seasons.
Maye will be the driving force of that, and how he meshes with Diggs in the 2025 season will likely be crucial for New England’s offense. As a rookie, Maye appeared in 13 games (12 starts) and led the Patriots to a 3-9 record in his starts.
He threw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 66.6 percent of his passes.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye is likely going to get a ton of chances to prove that he can be the next franchise quarterback in New England. If the Patriots overtake the Bills in the 2025 season, it would be a great sign of things to come for the franchise.
