Patriots Offseason Preview: Impending Free Agents, Draft Picks, and Top Needs

The New England Patriots are coming off another trying campaign, finishing 4-13 for the second straight season. Patriots owner Robert Kraft handpicked Jerod Mayo to be Bill Belichick's successor, but Mayo will be one-and-done after being fired shortly after the Pats' final game in Week 18.

New England enters a crucial offseason as they look for another new head coach and attempt to build around quarterback Drake Maye following Maye's promising rookie year.

Patriots' 2024 Schedule-Adjusted Rankings

• Overall Offense: 27th
• Pass Offense: 28th
• Rush Offense: 22nd
• Overall Defense: 30th
• Pass Defense: 30th
• Rush Defense: 19th

Patriots' Impending 2025 Free Agents

• Jonathon Jones, CB
• Jacoby Brissett, QB
• Deatrich Wise, DE
• Chukwuma Okorafor, T
• Austin Hooper, TE
• Daniel Ekuale, DT
• JaMycal Hasty, RB
• Jaylinn Hawkins, S
• Joey Slye, K
• Oshane Ximines, OLB
• Christian Elliss, DE (restricted free agent)
• Alex Austin, CB (exclusive rights free agent)
• Jeremiah Pharms, DT (exclusive rights free agent)
• JaQuae Jackson, WR (exclusive rights free agent)
• Demontrey Jacobs, LT (exclusive rights free agent)
• Ben Brown, G (exclusive rights free agent)

Here are the Patriots' list of impending free agents, per Spotrac. While New England doesn't stand to lose a ton of talent even if they let most of these players walk, that might say more about the dire state of this roster than anything else.

Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones is arguably the most notable name, but he'll be entering his age-32 season, so with New England in the midst of a rebuild, it's fair to wonder if he'll be back. With Drake Maye being the clear long-term answer at quarterback, Jacoby Brissett may look to move on rather than play a mentor role.

The team projects to have the NFL's most salary cap space by a sizable margin, though, so they have the resources to make a significant impact in free agency if they can entice any of the top names. That was something they were unable to do last offseason, but the combination of Maye and a new coaching staff could make the Pats a more inviting landing spot compared to last offseason.

Patriots' 2025 NFL Draft Picks

• 4th overall
• 2nd round
• 3rd round
• 3rd round (via Atlanta Falcons)
• 4th round
• 5th round
• 7th round
• 7th round
• 7th round (via Los Angeles Chargers)

(NOTE: This list does not include compensatory picks, which are typically announced in early March.)

New England enters the offseason with nine draft picks in the upcoming draft, per Tankathon. The Patriots had the No. 1 overall pick in their grasp, but they ultimately defeated the Buffalo Bills' backups in a meaningless Week 18 contest, dropping New England to the fourth spot. Although that might sting for Pats fans, having a pick inside the top five should still net them a top-tier talent or more draft capital should they decide to trade back.

Patriots' Top Offseason Needs

• Offensive Line
• Wide Receiver
• Edge

The Patriots' top two needs are practically interchangeable between offensive line and wide receiver as they look to build around Maye.

According to PFF, New England graded 31st in pass blocking and 32nd in run blocking this season. Meanwhile, Demario Douglas led Pats wideouts with just 621 receiving yards, and rookies Ja'Lynn Polk (37th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft) and Javon Baker (110th pick) were colossal disappointments, combining for a mere 99 yards all season.

The Patriots' defense also took a step back in its first year without Belichick at the helm. Most notably, the team owned the NFL's fourth-worst pressure rate and finished last in sacks (28), so upgrading their pass rush should be a priority.

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