Patriots Biggest Training Camp Question Mark Revealed

The New England Patriots were incredibly active this offseason when it came to spending money and adding talent to their roster. While the defense got a lot of attention in the first wave of free agency, the Patriots circled back and signed former All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs to be their No. 1 target in a room that lacked a proven star. On top of that, they drafted LSU left tackle Will Campbell, Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson, and Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams to add to the offense.

While the Patriots earned brownie points by being offensively proactive to help out Drake Maye, we have to see what it looks like on the field before we can consider it a success, which is exactly what Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report noted when saying that New England's group of pass-catchers was their biggest question mark.

"Drake Maye finished 17th in total QBR as a rookie with Hunter Henry as the No. 1 target at his disposal," Ballentine writes. "Henry led the team in targets as a 30-year-old tight end, and fellow veteran tight end Austin Hooper was fourth on the team with 59 on the season. That's a sad state of affairs for someone learning to navigate the league in their debut season."

"The Patriots were armed with huge cap-space budget going into the offseason, but there weren't a lot of opportunities to add firepower in the pass game. The most notable addition was Stefon Diggs. They'll hope he can make a successful comeback after an ACL tear cut his 2024 campaign short after eight games. The 31-year-old had six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before 2024. But hoping he gets back to that level at this age off a serious knee injury is a lot to ask. Mack Hollins will also join the competition. He doesn't put up the biggest numbers, but he's a good blocking receiver and will provide veteran leadership."

"The young options bring the upside. Kayshon Boutte flashed potential last season and Ja'Lynn Polk will get a chance to show a lot of improvement after a disappointing rookie season. Throw in third-round pick Kyle Williams, and there are a lot of unknowns with potential for the Patriots."

On paper, this unit is far better than what New England put around Maye and Jacoby Brissett in 2024. Add in Josh McDaniels calling plays, this is a unit that should see substantial improvement.