Patriots
The Patriots want a powerful season from Drake Maye if they’ve any hope of taking part in postseason soccer.
The 2025 Patriots season is sort of right here.
Hope has been renewed in Foxborough, with the arrival of Mike Vrabel as head coach and loads of roster turnover elevating expectations for a staff that has posted back-to-back four-win seasons.
However because the Patriots open regular-season motion on Sunday afternoon towards the Raiders, there are nonetheless loads of query marks surrounding a staff trying to re-establish itself as a playoff contender.
Listed below are 10 daring predictions for the 2025 Patriots:
1. Drake Maye data 30 whole touchdowns
For the entire intrigue and considerations hovering over a number of areas of New England’s roster, essentially the most consequential growth for the Patriots is the event of Drake Maye in 2025.
After showcasing his potential as a dual-threat playmaker final season, the third decide within the 2024 NFL Draft continues to guarantee Patriots followers that they’ve a possible franchise fixture in place beneath middle this fall.
A lackluster offensive line may need Maye scrambling early and sometimes, whereas New England remains to be in determined want of a game-changing, No. 1 goal for its quarterback. However Maye nonetheless closes out the 12 months with 26 passing touchdowns, 4 speeding scores, and 13 interceptions.
There can be some inevitable rising pains, however Maye will proceed to seem like the true deal.
2. TreVeyon Henderson surpasses 1,000 speeding yards
Imagine the hype.
New England already has a deep operating again room between Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and the rookie Henderson. However the 2025 second-round pick of Ohio State has elite pace — to associate with sturdy pass-catching skills and a willingness to knock gamers to the gridiron throughout blocking assignments.
Even together with his excessive draft label, Henderson turned loads of heads throughout camp and preseason motion together with his dynamic expertise.
New England may open the 12 months with Stevenson incomes the vast majority of snaps, nevertheless it’s going to be arduous for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and the Patriots to maintain the ball out of Henderson’s arms, given his ability set.
We’ve received him ending the 12 months with 1,021 speeding yards with 10 scores on the bottom — whereas additionally serving as a reliable goal for Maye in short-yardage conditions.
3. DeMario Douglas ends the 12 months with extra catches than Stefon Diggs
The Patriots do have a confirmed playmaker on their roster with Stefon Diggs now cleared for sport motion.
We’re anticipating a strong season for Diggs with six touchdowns and 789 yards, given his crisp route-running capabilities.
However Drake Maye’s high safety blanket this 12 months can be Douglas, who persistently received open throughout joint practices towards the Vikings and Commanders.
Given McDaniels’ knack for carving out featured roles for shifty wideouts out of the slot throughout his earlier tenures in Foxborough, Douglas needs to be poised for a breakout marketing campaign.
We don’t suppose Douglas would be the first Patriots wideout to interrupt 1,000 yards since Julian Edelman in 2019. However the third-year professional ought to have the ability to surpass 800 yards in 2025.
4. Mack Hollins leads the staff in receiving touchdowns
For the entire upgrades that New England made on each side of the ball this offseason, a wideout like Hollins flew beneath the radar. The 31-year-old has by no means precisely stuffed the stat sheet — as he totaled simply 378 receiving yards over 17 video games final season with the Payments.
However as evidenced by his utilization throughout camp practices and preseason play, the 6-foot-4 Hollins may very well be a helpful asset for New England’s offense as a red-zone goal given his dimension and skill to reel in contested 50-50 balls.
Anticipate Maye to unfold the wealth inside their receiving corps, however we’ve received Hollins down for 9 touchdowns this season as one of many QB’s go-to targets across the finish zone.
5. Christian Gonzalez misses no less than 4 video games on account of harm
The excellent news is that the Patriots have probably the greatest younger corners within the sport in All-Professional Christian Gonzalez.
The unhealthy information is that the third-year professional has been hampered by harm in two of his three seasons within the NFL — together with his availability unsure for Week 1 towards the Raiders on account of a hamstring harm suffered in July.
Given the stalled progress when it comes to Gonzalez’s return to the sphere and the tough nature that comes with avoiding extra setbacks and recurrences with muscle accidents, it wouldn’t come as a lot of a shock if it takes Gonzalez a fair longer stretch of time to return.
The lack of Gonzalez and the harm historical past of fellow starter Carlton Davis are regarding, however New England does have some strong depth at cornerback with each Alex Austin and DJ James.
6. The offensive line will as soon as once more be a serious situation
The Patriots’ porous offense can solely rise up from final 12 months, proper? Proper?
Swapping out Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs with Will Campbell and Morgan Moses as New England’s beginning tackles already stands as a large enchancment, whereas Mike Onwenu also needs to bounce again now that he’s entrenched at proper guard.
Nonetheless, there’s plenty of query marks on this offensive line in relation to sturdiness, depth, and outright expertise.
As promising as Campbell was throughout preseason motion, it’s solely cheap for the fourth decide within the 2025 NFL Draft to undergo some rising pains this fall, whereas the 34-year-old Moses might want to keep on the sphere — or run the chance of Vrabel and Co. having to show to Lowe or rookie Marcus Bryant as the following males up at deal with.
Add in considerations over beginning middle Garrett Bradbury’s pass-blocking points in August in addition to rookie Jared Wilson’s up-and-down preseason, and this may very well be one other 12 months the place Maye goes to be flushed out of the pocket early and sometimes.
The Patriots’ offensive line needs to be higher in 2025. However that doesn’t imply it’s going to be good, both.
7. Ok’Lavon Chaisson can be New England’s greatest offseason pickup on protection
Even with Gonzalez’s harm considerations, New England’s protection is poised to take a serious step ahead this fall.
The return of Christian Barmore — coupled with New England spending closely in free company to usher in names like Milton Williams, Harold Landry, Davis, and Robert Spillane — ought to make New England a much more fearsome defensive unit.
Williams can be counted on to generate strain on the line of scrimmage, given the four-year, $104 million contract that New England handed him this spring. After rating useless final within the NFL in 2024 with simply 28 whole sacks, a participant like Landry with 50.5 sacks on his resume needs to be a welcome treatment.
However New England’s breakout participant on protection finally ends up being Ok’Lavon Chaisson, who was a one-man wrecking crew throughout camp practices as an athletic pass-rusher.
With gamers like Williams, Barmore, and Khyiris Tonga wreaking havoc up entrance, don’t be stunned if an explosive participant like Chiasson racks up a double-digit sack whole in 2025.
8. Kyle Dugger is traded
Kyle Dugger remains to be on New England’s roster coming into Week 1. However the veteran security — very like Jabrill Peppers — might nonetheless be on the best way out as a sq. peg in a spherical gap on New England’s revamped depth chart.
Though Dugger remained on New England’s 53-man roster, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported final week that the veteran’s “$9.75M assured wage – and the way a lot of it New England would take up – was a hurdle” in commerce talks.
However as New England turns to rookie Craig Woodson and Jaylinn Hawkins as their projected beginning safeties this season, it wouldn’t come as a lot of a shock if the Patriots proceed to evaluate Dugger’s commerce worth.
Dugger might not be an excellent match for New England’s defensive scheme, however he’s nonetheless an excellent participant — one who may very well be coveted by a staff later this season as soon as accidents begin to hit their secondary.
9. Andy Borregales settles into his position as kicker
The case may very well be made that Andy Borregales was outplayed by veteran John Parker Romo this preseason within the battle for New England’s beginning kicker position.
According to MassLive’s Mark Daniels, Romo transformed on 90.1 % (38-of-42) of his kicks throughout preseason motion, whereas additionally connecting on a 57-yard subject purpose towards Washington at Gillette Stadium.
Borregales — who was drafted within the sixth spherical by New England in April — hit 85.7 % (42-of-49) of his kicks throughout camp whereas lacking each a 57 and 49-yard subject purpose throughout preseason motion.
The Patriots haven’t had a lot luck as of late utilizing draft capital on kickers — as evidenced by Justin Rohrwasser (fifth spherical, 2020) and Chad Ryland (fourth spherical, 2023).
However even with a few of these rising pains this summer time, Borregales finally ends up establishing himself as a gentle kicker with loads of upside shifting ahead.
10. Patriots come up wanting playoffs with an 8-9 report
Given New England’s lighter schedule, Vrabel’s presence, and a busy offseason, it got here as little shock that loads of Patriots followers (and media pundits) had been envisioning a long-awaited playoff run in Foxborough.
A few of that constructive sentiment has been eroded over the past month, given the legitimate considerations concerning New England’s depth past its first unit. Accidents are inevitable in soccer, and all it takes is one or two essential accidents for New England’s depth chart to backside out.
The Patriots are within the midst of an arduous rebuild — one introduced upon by years of woeful drafting and free-agent pickups.
Vrabel will get the Patriots again to some stage of respectability in a 12 months the place they double their win whole — whereas key cogs like Maye and others proceed to showcase promise as franchise fixtures.
New England does come up wanting a playoff berth this season, however the 2025 marketing campaign is in the end all about righting the ship and getting this franchise heading in the right direction.
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