A month before the NFL Draft, coach Mike Vrabel sarcastically mocked the praise he and his New England Patriots had gotten for “winning” March with their free-agency splurge. So it’s not hard to imagine how he’d react to the near-universal love the Patriots have gotten for their draft class, earning high marks from pundits across the internet. He knows success in the offseason is irrelevant if wins don’t follow in the fall.
Now, though, Vrabel can get to work. Organized team activities begin May 19. Minicamp is in June. That sets the table for the start of training camp in late July.
Still, even if free agency and the draft went well for the Pats, plenty of questions linger. How could they not after back-to-back 4-13 seasons?
So with the Patriots on the doorstep of OTAs and with the roster-building portion of the offseason in the rearview mirror, let’s look at the five biggest questions surrounding the Patriots.
1. Which receivers will make the team?
The Patriots needed to draft a receiver (which they did, picking Kyle Williams in the third round), but they’ll now have some tough decisions. Even though their group of receivers likely still ranks among the bottom 10 in the NFL, they have a logjam of players aiming to be one of the five or six who make the roster.
At this point, Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and Williams are locks to make the team. Demario Douglas probably is, too. But that likely leaves only two roster spots for Ja’Lynn Polk, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, Javon Baker and anyone else who joins the mix.
That, of course, is what training camp is for. Let them compete and see who comes out on top. But either way, it’s going to mark another big change to this roster, which continues to be turned over by Vrabel.
Wide receiver is going to be arguably the most interesting position battle this summer.
2. How do they generate a pass rush on the edge?
In what was a bit of a surprise, the Patriots didn’t add an edge rusher in the draft until the fifth round when they chose LSU’s Bradyn Swinson. Clearly, they don’t view edge rusher as the same level of need as many of us speculated.
Still, I’m a little skeptical of how the Patriots will get to the quarterback from the outside. The interior duo of Christian Barmore and Milton Williams should be great at pushing the pocket. But you’d ideally like someone coming around the corner to meet them in the backfield, and that’s where I think the Patriots could struggle.
Harold Landry’s pass-rush numbers have dipped in recent years, Anfernee Jennings is mostly a run stuffer and K’Lavon Chaisson has been inconsistent over his five years (though he is coming off his best season as a pass rusher).
So what does that mean? In short, I think the Pats are banking on Keion White having a bounce-back year and becoming a reliable edge rusher.
Eliot Wolf breaks down the 2025 Patriots draft class. pic.twitter.com/biAxu6Fn7g
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) May 2, 2025
3. Who will be the starting left guard?
Similar to wide receiver, this position is wide open as practices begin and likely leads to a surprise cut or two.
The favorite to win the gig is probably Cole Strange. His last two years have been close to a disaster, playing in only 13 of the last 34 games. But the hope is he can find some stability, put the injuries in the past and have a decent training camp in a new offense.
Another option is third-round pick Jared Wilson out of Georgia, though it’s not clear he’ll even get this chance. Wilson is the team’s long-term center. But after signing Garrett Bradbury in free agency, there’s a chance Wilson starts at left guard before moving to center next year.
Sidy Sow, Layden Robinson, and Wes Schweitzer will get a look, too. But of those five, only Wilson’s spot on the 53-man roster is guaranteed.
4. Do they have enough at nickel corner?
Marcus Jones is the only true slot corner on the roster, and he’s injury-prone. That’s why it was a bit of a surprise when the Patriots didn’t draft anyone at the position.
While I didn’t love the selection of Craig Woodson in the fourth round, here’s the rationale: The Patriots are planning to use a big nickel personnel frequently on early downs. That could minimize the role of a true slot corner if you play with three safeties and send one of them (perhaps Jabrill Peppers?) closer to the line of scrimmage.
Still, I question if there’s enough depth behind Jones for the times they play a true 11 personnel team, which will require a true slot corner. (It’s worth noting that next season they play four of the top six teams in 11 personnel usage a year ago: the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns.)
5. How long will Rhamondre Stevenson be the starter?
Second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson’s role seems settled. He’ll be the third-down, change-of-pace back to start the season. He’ll be leaned on in the passing game and to provide some explosiveness while spelling Stevenson.
But you don’t typically draft a running back with a top-40 pick to give him a small role, like getting 20 snaps per game. (At least you’d hope that’s the case.)
So it wouldn’t be a surprise if Henderson started getting more of the carries at some point this season. The question is whether he does enough in training camp for that to start in Week 1 or if it’s more of a, say, Week 13 thing.
(Photo of Rhamondre Stevenson: Megan Briggs / Getty Images)