Last season’s AFC East final standings ended as many predicted they would as the standings mirrored the season prior. The Buffalo Bills posted an impressive 13-4 record to clinch the title for the fifth straight year; five games clear of the second place Miami Dolphins at 8-9. The Dolphins sub .500 record was still enough to keep the Jets and Patriots comfortably at bay with both posting forgettable seasons of 5-12 and 4-13 respectively.
So, with the season fast approaching, will we see a new team snatch the crown from the Bills’ hands, or will the reigning MVP Josh Allen guide his team to yet another formidable campaign. We will dive into the strengths and weaknesses of the division and also identify one breakout candidate and one rookie to watch.
Strengths: Defense and young talent
Despite struggling in terms of record last time out, the Jets and Dolphins were both ranked in the top five for total defense in the 2024 regular season. When factoring in star players such as Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Bradley Chubb it becomes easy to see why these units show up at the top.
Buffalo’s unit is much improved from last year with the addition of veteran pass rusher Joey Bosa to compliment an excellent draft with Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston the headline addition.
The Patriots are the biggest question of the four, but former Eagles DT Milton Williams joining on a monster deal in the offseason will bolster a defensefronted by star corner Christian Gonzalez.
The young talent on both sides of the ball is scary across all four teams. The Jets tied down Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson to long-term deals, suring up two key positions for the future. Miami and Buffalo both added defensive pieces in the first round on draft night, and Patriots second year QB Drake Maye showed promise and is waiting in the wings for a breakout season. The future of the division is as bright as it has been for many years.
Breakout candidate: Braelon Allen
Following on from the points about young talent, a new look offensive line for the Jets full of promising prospects will provide plenty more holes for 21-year-old Braelon Allen to run into. Allen showed flashes of potential in an historic rookie year with his 334 yards the most by a player before turning 21 in NFL history. His freakish size and speed paired with the improved O-line and shift to a more rush heavy offense under Aaron Glenn could speed up his development and turn this young man into the monster many believe he can be.
Rookie to watch: Jonah Savaiinaea
The Dolphins selected the Arizona O-lineman with the 37th overall pick in this year’s draft. In an extremely deep class for offensive lineman, Savaiinaea fell just outside of the elite bracket, hence the slightly lower draft position, but he possesses elite size at 6”4, 324 lbs that will help him transition to the pros. To expect fireworks in year one would be optimistic but he has potential to lock down the guard spot for years to come.