An optimist's guide to the 2025 New England Patriots

NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice was particularly impressed with the team’s Day 2 selections, referring to running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Kyle Williams as “a pair of potent playmakers” and calling third-round pick Jared Wilson “the best pure center in this draft class.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had Wilson ranked as the draft’s top center as well and gave the Patriots an A- with a nod to the team’s late-round picks.

“There are some good Day 3 picks in New England, too,” Kiper said. “Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer has dealt with some injuries, but he can push the pocket. Bradyn Swinson had 8.5 sacks last season off the edge. And Andres Borregales is the No. 2 kicker in the class.”

Praise for the kicker? Now that’s a great draft.

Free agency

Per Spotrac, no team spent more money ($360M) on free agents than the Patriots this offseason.

Former Eagles defensive end Milton Williams (four years, $104M) had two sacks and a forced fumble in Super Bowl LIX. Former Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (three years, $63M) was on pace for a seventh straight 1,000-yard season before a Week 8 knee injury ended his 2024 campaign and former Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III (three years, $54M) has 11 career interceptions and a Super Bowl ring from his time with Tampa Bay.

Throw in another $76.5M for linebackers Harold Landry III and Robert Spillane, and the Patriots should be much better in 2025, especially on defense.

Head Coach

Mike Vrabel won three Super Bowl championships as a linebacker with the Patriots from 2001-08. When asked to describe his old teammate’s prospects as head coach of New England, former quarterback Tom Brady said the following to Sportscasting's DJ Siddiqi:

“He’s got this no-[expletive] mentality about him and I love that,” says Brady. “That’s why I think he and I have always connected. It’s this mentality that we’re not making excuses, we’re going to go out there and get the job done, and we’re not going to complain. We’re going to work hard and we’re going to be resilient, and that’s how you get things done.”

Vrabel earned the NFL Coach of the Year Award with the Titans in 2021. Including the playoffs, he went 56-48 in six seasons with Tennessee and took his team to the playoffs from 2019-21. That experience (and a nod from the GOAT) should serve him well in 2025.

Schedule

Of course, playing the NFL’s third-easiest schedule won’t hurt, either. Patriots opponents combined for a .429 win percentage in 2024, and even though the team finished with a 4-13 record, DraftKings Sportsbook has New England favored in 11 of 17 games next season.

To put that in perspective, New England hasn’t won 11 games since 2018, when it won Super Bowl LIII. Talk about optimism.