Patriots At Bottom Of Latest NFL Power Rankings

The New England Patriots gave their franchise a full makeover this offseason. Out went Jerrod Mayo and Alex Van Pelt and in came Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels. On top of that, a flurry of stars were brought in via free agency. Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, and Stefon Diggs highlight a class of new Patriots that are expected to take New England back to the postseason.

Despite all of the additions that were made on both sides of the ball, though, the Patriots have to prove it on the field, which is reflected in the most recent power rankings from Bleacher Report, as New England comes in at No. 26.

"Given that the New England Patriots won just four games last year, it may seem a little strange to talk about enthusiasm," Gary Davenport writes. "But there’s more than a little in Beantown this summer. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye had his ups and downs as a rookie, but he had very little passing-game weaponry, a leaky offensive line and still showed some flashes. Those flashes are the cause of some of that enthusiasm. So is the arrival of head coach Mike Vrabel. But much of the excitement centers on New England’s roster overhaul—on both sides of the ball. The Pats were one of the most aggressive teams in the NFL in free agency, and there was a concerted focus both there and in the draft to improve the offense around Maye."

Davenport adds that the ranking for New England is "out of whack," and that New England could turn things around immediately in 2025.

"Those expectations may actually be a little out of whack," Davenport writes. "The Patriots appear to have the potential for a big-time turnaround, but that would require quite a few things to all break the right way. A more likely outcome is New England getting better in 2025 but still coming up short of the postseason in Vrabel’s first year. Still, given what this team looked like in 2024, seven or eight wins would be a sizable step in the right direction."

Should Drake Maye and Co. click quickly in McDaniels' offense, and the defense live up to their respective potential, the Patriots will soar up power rankings in no time.