With a new yet familiar head coach and offensive coordinator, the Patriots will try to close the gap on the Bills’ divisional stranglehold.
Well Buffalo Bills fans, we’ve arrived at peak hope season on the NFL calendar. The ebbs and flows of the offseason can be meaningful, especially during the main player acquisition phase that runs from March until the end of the April.
If a team hasn’t done anything in the first few hours of the free-agency negotiating window, the murmurs of disapproval begin in the dark corners of the internet. Conversely, if a team makes a widely approved big splash in the NFL Draft with a consensus player, the optimism for the coming year or years isn’t just restored, but amplified. And between these two polar opposite reactions, there are many other inflection points ranging from detached apathy to mild and optimistic curiosity.
Just a few weeks after the NFL Draft, we reach a point where fan bases (overall) have completely bought into their teams’ draft classes. They’ve watched all the hype videos and seen the behind-the-scenes moments of draft night — that clearly prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the players selected by their team were the ideal and most desired picks at every single spot.
People are ready to believe. But it’s not just Bills Mafia that’s ready. The remainder of the AFC East teams made moves to inspire hope in their respective fan bases as well. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at the draft classes from the New England Patriots, New York Jersey Jets, and Miami Dolphins.
Let’s start with the current AFC East basement dwellers, those Patriots who for so many years behind the arm of Tom Brady tormented Buffalo’s faithful fans.
New England Patriots (4-13 in 2024, 4th in the AFC East)
- Round 1, Pick 04 – Will Campbell, OT (LSU)
- Round 2, Pick 38 – Treveyon Henderson, RB (Ohio State)
- Round 3, Pick 69 – Kyle Williams, WR (Washington State)
- Round 3, Pick 95 – Jared Wilson, C (Georgia)
- Round 4, Pick 106 – Craig Woodson, S (California)
- Round 4, Pick 137 – Joshua Farmer, DT (Florida State)
- Round 5, Pick 146 – Bradyn Swinson, EDGE (LSU)
- Round 6, Pick 182 – Andres Borregales, K (Miami)
- Round 7, Pick 220 – Marcus Bryant, OT (Missouri)
- Round 7, Pick 251 – Julian Ashby, LS (Vanderbilt)
- Round 7, Pick 257 – Kobee Minor, DB (Memphis)
The theme for the Patriots this offseason was always going to be two-fold:
- Get “Vrabelish” players in the building
- Support and build around prospective franchise quarterback Drake Maye
The top of New England’s draft proved that out, providing not just support for their young signal-caller, but also DNA that fits who new head coach Mike Vrabel wants his team to be. Campbell and Henderson are arguably the best pass-blocking players at their respective positions in the draft, with Henderson being one of the best pass-game running backs to come out in the draft in some time.
Third rounder Kyle Williams provides true dynamic X potential in a spot occupied by Kayshon Boutte last year and three-level separation after disappointing pass catching additions last year (Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker). He’ll let newly signed and hopefully healthy Stefon Diggs play more at flanker and in the slot if he’s able to secure a role quickly.
Stalwart center David Andrews needed to be replaced after his 10-year run with the team ended in his release, and the man who took over for Bills’ 2024 draft pick Sedrick Van Pran Granger gets the nod to further the “with the first part of this draft, we focus on supporting Drake Maye” tune. He can compete with “yeah he’s a starter but he’s not safe” free-agent acquisition Garrett Bradbury. Special teams emphasis, a hallmark of Vrabel teams, showed up at the end of the draft class after some length was added to the defensive line with the Farmer and Swinson additions.
With their free-agent haul in tow (DT Milton Williams, LB Robert Spillane, EDGE Harold Landry, WR Mack Hollins, and the previously mentioned Diggs and Bradbury), the Patriots arguably added the most new talent to their team this offseason of any organization in the AFC East. Of course, with the draft capital and cap space they had available, that’s to be expected.
Did the Pats do enough to jump any of the teams who were above them in 2024? Sound off in the comments below!
…and that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I’m Bruce Nolan with Buffalo Rumblings. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @BruceExclusive and look for new episodes of “The Bruce Exclusive” every Thursday on the Rumblings Cast Network — see more in my LinkTree!