New England Patriots roster ranked as one of the best in NFL
The New England Patriots received one of the best-graded rosters from Pro Football Focus.
The New England Patriots fell just short of winning their sixth Super Bowl title in franchise history this past February. New England lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, but they are loaded up once again to make another run.
Despite a rocky start to the offseason, the Patriots recovered well as they normally do. Despite some key contributors leaving in free agency, New England filled the holes about as well as they could have.
The Patriots lost key contributors Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler, Danny Amendola and Nate Solder in free agency. Brandin Cooks was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. However, they replaced them with solid players in free agency and in the 2018 NFL Draft.
As a result, the Patriots still have one of the more talented rosters in the NFL. Just how talented? Pro Football Focus ranked New England at No. 4 in their roster rankings.
More from Musket Fire
- What trading Mac Jones during the draft can do for the Patriots
- Best and worst draft picks during the Bill Belichick era
- Early round Patriots draft picks you’ll hate now, love later
- Musket Fire Roundup: Our own final predictions for round 1
- Breaking down the Patriots’ options in the 2023 NFL Draft
Ahead of the Patriots are the Super Bowl champion Eagles at No. 1. The Atlanta Falcons are No. 2 and the New Orleans Saints are No. 3. Rounding out the top five after the Patriots is the Minnesota Vikings.
Pro Football Focus grades every player on every play during a game. The list compiled at ESPN used projected lineups with grades from 2017. Players who received a grade of 90+ are considered elite. Good and high-quality players have grades of 80-89, while average players are 70-79. Below average is 60-69 while poor is anyone graded out lower.
Surprisingly, had only two elite players in their projected lineup; quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski. Six players were rated poorly. Everyone else in the projected lineup either didn’t register a grade or graded out as average to high-quality players.
Next: 10 Greatest Quarterbacks In Patriots' Franchise History
New England has a well-rounded roster so being in the top-four is expected. New England has some weaker areas on the list, but as long as Brady is under center the team will compete.