Patriots: 4 players who can be the No. 1 option on offense in 2021

Most teams around the league seem to have at least some sense around who will be the lead playmaker in their offense for 2021. The New England Patriots‘ situation, however, is a little more complex.

Even with the new additions of players like Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and Nelson Agholor this offseason, there really isn’t a clear “No. 1 guy” for the Patriots.

As of now, it’s more of just a collection of solid weapons in Cam Newton’s arsenal, rather than the luxury of having one dominant offensive player.

Regardless, it’s an improvement from last year’s group of guys.

There’s a multitude of different directions that Bill Belichick and the Patriots could decide to go if the roster remains the way it is as of now. There could be up to four players on offense that could possibly take on this “lead role” that’s up for grabs.

Let’s take a look at each of these four players and see what they have to offer.

Damien Harris

The Patriots’ running back group is a pretty talented set of players; with the likes of Sony Michel, James White, and new rookie Rhamondre Stevenson, this is one of the deepest RB units in the league.

However, Damien Harris is the most likely RB to get the bulk of the carries in 2021, and could potentially be a key component to the Patriots’ offense.

With Michel’s fifth-year option being declined, along with White being brought back on just a one-year contract, Harris looks to be the long-term future of New England’s running back situation, and for good reason.

In just 10 games in 2020, Harris managed to put up almost 700 rushing yards on an impressive five yards per carry. This is exactly what you love to see out of a young, up-and-coming back like Harris.

The issue with Harris potentially being the top offensive option is how Bill Belichick operates with his running backs. There aren’t too many 1,000+ yard rushers in New England’s recent history. Typically, Belichick uses his running backs by committee, with around three or four players handling the rushing load.

Therefore, the idea that Harris would be more of a workhorse RB, without allowing Michel and White to get many touches in the backfield, seems a little unrealistic.

You also can’t forget the fact that Cam Newton also managed to pick up 500+ rushing yards, along with the majority of rushing touchdowns for the Patriots, in 2020, limiting Harris to picking up just two on the season.

While it would be nice to see Harris explode into a dominant RB for the Patriots in 2021, it’s not the most realistic scenario by any means. Although, with a top offensive line and a proven effective rushing offense, this approach may be pretty powerful for the New England offense.

Nelson Agholor

One of the newest additions to the Patriots’ wide receiver corps could end up having the biggest impact on the team’s offense when it’s all said and done. This player is Nelson Agholor.

While Agholor isn’t in the same caliber as a some of the more dominant receivers in the league, he has the ability to be a serviceable WR1, and possibly even put up a 1,000+ receiving yard season.

In his 2020 season with the Raiders, Agholor put up almost 900 yards, 43 receptions, and eight touchdowns. Could he do that with the Patriots?

Out of all of the potential players that could lead the Patriots’ WR group, Nelson Agholor is the most likely candidate of the bunch to take charge.

Other wide receivers such as Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers could have this “No. 1” opportunity, but with both of them combining for only two touchdowns in 2021, they would probably serve better as complementary parts to the offense, rather than watching it become centered around them.

Agholor is the exact type of player the Patriots could have used last season. He likely won’t be a player that will jump out as a top 10 receiver in the league next year, but he can definitely get the job done as the Patriots’ lead receiver, and potentially the most important player on the entire offense in 2021.

Hunter Henry/Jonnu Smith

While there were some big splashes in the 2021 offseason for the New England Patriots, none were bigger than the two huge additions at tight end: Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.

Both of these new acquisitions at tight end have the potential to make a big time impact for the Patriots in 2021. While it’s not obvious to which of these two will have the more prominent role in the offense for 2021, they’re both great weapons for Cam Newton at the tight end position that he was lacking last year…to say the least.

In the 2020-21 season, the Patriots’ tight ends combined for a total of 154 yards on the year. Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry combined for a total of 1,061 yards. That is a big-time positional upgrade that the Patriots desperately needed.

In years past, the Patriots had some of their best offensive success when they had two elite players at the tight end position: Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. While neither of these new additions are close to the talent level of Gronk, they may be able to provide a similar role.

Cam Newton’s success in Carolina also plays a big part in seeing the potential of this group for 2021. Cam always had a big time threat at the tight end position with Greg Olsen. Now, while he may not have Olsen in New England, Smith and Henry could both play a huge role in the success of both the bounce-back QB and the Patriots in 2021.

This scenario is the most likely, and probably the best option when looking at the potential No. 1 options for 2021. Seeing how much the Patriots valued the tight end position in the 2010s, it only makes sense for them to revert back to this system for next season after making these expensive new additions.

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