The New England Patriots have won only eight combined games over the last two seasons, and despite having some pieces in place to build around are still in the middle of a major organization-wide rebuild. There is no magic button to push in order to speed-run the simulation, the Patriots have to build the team back up one step at a time.
The next of those is coming this week, with the NFL’s free agency period coming up. The Patriots are in a prime position to add to one of the worst rosters in football, heading toward the open market with virtually no must-re-sign players on their roster and plenty of salary cap space available.
How the team will use its league-leading resources of somewhere between $110 and $125million, depending on the Harold Landry signing, will be seen. However, there are clear areas that need to be addressed this offseason — either in free agency or in the draft.
With the first of those two coming up, we put our heads together to rank the needs from most to least pressing to give you a quick and easy overview of what the team would be wise to do. In parentheses you’ll find the average ranking we assigned to each of the 14 positions.
Major need
1. Offensive tackle: The Patriots have struggled at the offensive tackle position for multiple years now, and there is no clear fix on the roster at the moment. While a player like 2024 third-round draft pick Caedan Wallace could emerge as a viable starting option on the right side, he is a projection at this point. As a consequence, the team might have to address both the left and right tackle spot over the coming days and weeks. A repeat of last year, when Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs struggled their way through the season, cannot happen for the sake of the offense and quarterback Drake Maye. | Need score: 1.0
2. Wide receiver: If we are being honest, the Patriots have not had a clear No. 1 wide receiver since the days of Brandin Cooks almost a decade ago. Adding a player of that caliber this offseason will not be easy, or cheap, but New England is at the very least willing. The issues at the position go deeper, though, with none of the players on the current roster secured in their spots for 2025. Sure, DeMario Douglas is a good player and Ja’Lynn Polk was drafted in the second round last year, but with a new regime in place anything can happen. | Need score: 2.5
3. Defensive edge: Acquiring Harold Landry following his release from the Tennessee Titans helps, but it is not a fix for all the problems: the Patriots still need to get better on the edge, even with Landry and Anfernee Jennings as a potential starting pair. Even thought the two give New England some upside versus the run, the pass rushing question still looms over the entire position and the defense as a whole. Things were ugly in 2024, and major investments are needed that go beyond signing a 28-year-old who was just cut from his former team. | Need score: 2.5
Significant need
4. Interior defensive line: Davon Godchaux is headed to New Orleans, leaving Christian Barmore and Keion White atop the defensive tackle depth chart. While the two are good players and the most disruptive pass rushers the team currently has, the depth around them is a concern. As a result, it should not come as any surprise to see the Patriots be aggressive in their pursuit of additional DT depth — especially DT depth capable of playing the early downs, something Godchaux was quite good at. | Need score: 4.3
5. Cornerback: If not for Christian Gonzalez, the cornerback position would rank a lot higher. The rest of the position depth chart around him, after all, is not quite a mess but certainly in need of some upgrades. Marcus Jones and Alex Austin have had injury questions, Jonathan Jones is a free agent, and the backups are just that. The group does not need a major shakeup, unlike others above, but an infusion of more talent especially on the perimeter opposite the All-Pro Gonzalez is a must. | Need score: 5.5
6. Linebacker: On paper, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai and Christian Elliss should be a solid top trio at linebacker. However, whether the Patriots’ new-look defensive staff agrees remains to be seen. And what is also true is that Bentley going down with a season-ending pectoral injury in Week 2 exposed some worrying weaknesses: Tavai was not up to the task of being the top guy, while there was only so much Elliss could do. | Need score: 5.8
7. Interior offensive line: The Patriots have strength in numbers along their interior O-line, but do they have strength in quality, too? Theoretically, a grouping of Cole Strange, David Andrews, Michael Onwenu and Layden Robinson could get the job done, but the coaching staff might not be so confident: Andrews is coming close to the end of his career, Strange and Robinson are anything but safe bets, and Onwenu might just move back to tackle again to help fill a bigger need. All in all, plenty of uncertainty. | Need score: 6.8
Moderate need
8. Kicker: At this point in time, incumbent Joey Slye is not expected back at One Patriot Place. John Parker Romo is the next man up, and will fill the kicker role heading into free agency and potentially beyond. However, he is on his fifth team in four NFL seasons and probably cannot be counted on to earn the job. He might when all is said and done, but adding somebody to challenge him would still be smart business. | Need score: 8.5
9. Safety: Heading into 2024, the Patriots’ safety group projected as one of the best in football. However, Kyle Dugger and Marte Mapu struggled with injuries, Jabrill Peppers faced legal issues, Jaylinn Hawkins was little more than a role player, and neither Dell Pettus nor Brenden Schooler made much of a difference outside of their packages. There is something to work with, though, especially if Dugger and Peppers can regain the form they have shown in the past. The deep-field role still has to be addressed, either by re-signing Hawkins or adding somebody new entirely. | Need score: 9.0
10. Tight end: Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are not the most dynamic tight end duo the league has ever seen, but they are solid players who have shown good chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots keeping the former and re-signing the latter therefore made plenty of sense, and ensures that the group is in reliable hands for at least 2025. What lies beyond is unclear, and something New England might want to address either via trade or in the draft. | Need score: 9.5
Minor need
11. Running back: Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson are not the most dynamic... well, you get the idea. Similar to tight end counterparts Henry and Hooper they are a solid core at their position, even though Stevenson struggled with ball security and Gibson never quite found his footing under the previous offensive staff. With Josh McDaniels back as offensive coordinator, however, both men should find themselves in a better position to be successful and contribute in a positive way. | Need score: 10.8
12. Quarterback: The Patriots have Drake Maye as their starting quarterback, but things are not quite settled behind him. Right now, Joe Milton looks like a possible No. 2 and future trade candidate, but adding a more experienced backup to the group would make sense as well. With Maye as the undisputed QB1, though, the most important position on the roster seems to be in able and still quite young hands. | Need score: 12.5
13. Punter: Bryce Baringer was not perfect in 2024, but he is still a solid player capable of delivering punts with good hang-time, distance and directional spin. He also is just 25 and signed for two more seasons, which effectively negates the need to add any competition to the roster. | Need score: 13.0
14. Long snapper: Joe Cardona had some hiccups in 2023, but he bounced back in impressive fashion in 2024. While he did not get the All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors he might have deserved — he was tied for the league-lead among snappers in solo tackles and the only player at his position to force a fumble — he still provided much-needed stability at an often-overlooked position. | Need score: 13.5
Obviously, the ranking as presented here is subjective and there are certainly arguments about moving particular positions into different categories. More than anything, however, the list can be seen as a way of showing where the Patriots roster has weaknesses with free agency coming up.
And as can be seen, there are quite a few of those on both sides of the ball.